We Meet Again
by Emconn
Summary: It has been a year since the Pevensies and Aleisa had left Narnia. All of them are having trouble coping with the idea of not going back. However they are summoned to help Narnia again, this time under different circumstances. When the five meet again will everything be back to the way it was? Or will they have changed too much to make it work. [Sequel to Not a Chance Meeting]
1. Chapter 1

**[Apologies about the confusion. I had a malfunction with my documents and in order to best fix it I had to completely redo this story. Everything should be fixed now, again sorry about the deletion and re-establishment of this story.]**

In the darkness of night, down in a dark castle the wails of a woman in labor could be heard echoing throughout the halls. Maids were frantically rushing about helping to soothe the woman as she continued in labor. After one last push the woman took in gasps of breath, exhausted. However she quickly sat up as she heard the cries of her new child. With a smile she leaned forward to take the baby from the maid's arms. She smiled broadly and laid back down with her new son in her arms.

In another room of the dark castle, a man dressed in black armor walked into the dimly lit study. Another man, also in dark robed was looking out the window. The guard stood behind him quietly before speaking up.

"Lord Miraz?" the man called. Miraz didn't move.

"You have a son." The guard continued. Lord Miraz breathed a sigh of relief.

"The heavens have blessed us." He replied in a thick Spanish accent.

"You know your orders." Lord Miraz spoke again. The man looked over at him apprehensively. Miraz turned his head slightly to glance back.

"General Gozelle." Miraz added, emphasizing the man's new title. The new general straightened up.

"Yes sir." He answered. Satisfied Miraz looked back out the window at the full moon above them.

In a farther section of the castle a man covered in a cloak snuck around the corridors, avoiding guards. Eventually he reached the door he wanted. He slowly opened it to reveal a bedroom, with a young man still sleeping soundly. He edged over to the bed, next to the boy and placed a hand firmly over his mouth. The boy bolted awake and struggled against the new presence. However after a few seconds of panic he looked up to see the face of his old professor. The man looked down at him over his spectacles, his long white beard handing down from under the hood. The boy rolled his eyes slightly and removed the hand from his mouth.

"Five more minutes." He mumbled with a thick accent, rolling back over to sleep.

"We won't be watching the stars tonight my prince." The prince looked back over, startled by the man's urgent tone.

"Come we must hurry." The man rushed. Prince Caspian immediately got out of bed this time, he knew something was wrong. The professor started dragging him towards the wardrobe.

"Professor what's going on?" Caspian asked.

"Your aunt has given birth…..to a son." The professor told him and walked through the door. Caspian paused and processed the news. However he was brought out of his thoughts when the sound of the secret passage being opened was heard.

"Come!" the old man urged. Caspian glanced back at the sound of footsteps. People were headed to his room. Caspian quickly got in the wardrobe and closed the door, leaving it open just a crack so he could see. He watched as a group of soldiers quietly walked in and circled his bed. Then all at once they all released a flurry of crossbow bolts into his bed. He watched with wide eyes as they continued to pelt the bed with arrows. Then all of them stopped when they saw that the prince wasn't in his bed. Only a now tattered mattress.

The professor led Caspian down a flight of hidden stairs. The prince glanced back only once, not believing what he just saw. They made their way down to the armory where Caspian grabbed some small pieces of body armor and a sword. As he started to walk out, the professor stopped him and gave him a cloak for warmth and camouflage.

The two then made their way to the stables where Caspian placed himself on one of the horses.

"You head straight for the woods." The professor told him.

"The woods?" Caspian questioned.

"They won't follow you there." The old man explained. With a sigh he reached into his long robes and pulled out an ivory horn. He handed it to Caspian.

"It has taken me many years to find this. Do not use it except in your greatest need." The professor warned as Caspian tucked it away.

"Will I ever see you again?" Caspian asked quietly. The professor had been like a father to him, and he knew that Miraz would suspect the old man of treason once Caspian was gone.

"I dearly hope so my prince. There is so much more I meant to tell you." The man looked up at the boy with sincere eyes.

"Everything you know is about to change." The old man warned cryptically. The moment was broken when they heard the shouts of guards alerting the castle to his absence. Caspian's horse fidgeted nervously.

"Now go." The professor ordered. Caspian didn't hesitate and immediately galloped forward. He made his way through the courtyard. There a few guards attempted to stop him but Caspian simply brushed them aside with a stolen lance as he passed. Another guard came after him and Caspian threw the lance at a nearby fire to make the man stand back. He galloped over the bridge, making his way towards the woods just outside the village. Just behind him a flurry of fireworks were set off to celebrate the birth of the new heir. Caspian's horse became startled as they made their way through the village. Caspian paused and looked back. When he did his eyes widened in alarm to see a small band of soldiers galloping his direction. Caspian spurred his horse on and galloped even faster. Prince Caspian made it out of the village and continued his gallop across the large plain outside of it, hoping to beat the soldiers there so he would maybe be safe. Finally the prince made it to the edge of the clearing and bolted into the woods.

The soldiers stopped at the edge of the woods, fearful about what was inside. General Gozelle was the only one who continued but stopped once he saw his men still behind him.

"Which one of you superstitious old women wants to spend the night in a cell?" he threatened. He paused to look around at the creaking forest before pushing onward his men reluctantly following.

Caspian made his way blindly through the dark forest, dodging branches and trees as he continued at full speed. The soldiers weren't too far behind him. The prince kept glancing behind him, watching as the men trying to kill him got closer and closer. Soon enough the prince came across a large river, but didn't slow down. Perhaps wading across would discourage the men from perusing him farther. Caspian spurred on his horse as the water reached its neck. The sound of splashing cause him to whip around, seeing the soldiers. He watched as two of the men were swept away by the current.

Eventually he reached the other side and continued barreling on into the forest that was steadily becoming thicker and thicker. At one point Caspian turned around to see if anyone was behind him, but this time he didn't have time to react to the large branch in front of him. With a thud the prince collided with the wood, knocking himself off his horse. Without a second to catch his breath the prince started sliding along the ground. His foot was still caught in the stirrup and he was being dragged by his horse. Caspian grunted as he strained to pull his foot free from the saddle. Once he did he collapsed back against the ground, trying to catch his breath as he heard his horse galloping away from him. The prince laid there quietly, not moving from his position as the forest became eerily quiet. He slowly sat up and glanced around him. Suddenly he heard the sound of a door and looked over to see a dwarf walk out of a large tree, headed straight towards him.

"He's seen us." The dwarf told the other as they walked forward. Caspian glanced back to where his sword had fallen. The dwarf ran towards him sword raised but stopped as he saw the familiar horn on the ground. Caspian shuffled back in alarm but caught the small man's gaze. Both froze, unsure of what to do. Suddenly the sound of horses could be heard heading towards them. The dwarf turned back to this friend.

"Take care of him." He ordered and headed towards the soldiers. The companion made his way towards the prince. In a panic Caspian lunged toward the horn.

"No!" the dark haired dwarf shouted in alarm as Caspian blew the horn. He was cut off when the dwarf struck him on the head, making the world turn dark.


	2. Chapter 2

With a jolt Aleisa shot up in bed breathing heavily. She took deep breaths trying to control her racing heart. That was a weird dream. She couldn't remember most of it but she distinctly remembered the boy's face. He had dark hair and seemed to be about her age. And the dwarf's. It almost seemed like something back in Narnia. Aleisa shook the idea off. It couldn't be, but then again she hadn't felt something like that since she was back in the magical land. The hurt came back as she was taken back to memories of her old home. It had been a year since she had last seen Narnia. A year since she was turned back into a teenager. A year since she had seen Peter. Aleisa glanced over at the window in her bedroom back at home. It was an hour or so until she had to leave for the subway station. This year she was heading to a boarding school, St. Finbar. It was an all-girls school out in the country. Aleisa slowly got out of bed and started her mourning routine, getting ready for the day ahead. After a half hour or so Aleisa made her way downstairs in her new school uniform, grey skirt with red blazer. Her father looked up from his morning paper as she made her way into the kitchen having dropped of her luggage by the door.

"Morning Aleisa." Her father greeted before lifting a cup of coffee to his lips. Aleisa smiled in response and prepared her own breakfast. It was always a bit quiet in the mornings with just the two of them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. After some idle chat Aleisa glanced over at the clock, noticing it was about time for her to go if she didn't want to be late. Her father glanced over at it too and sighed.

"Well I guess it's time to say goodbye for a few months." Her father muttered, plastering on a smile.

"Yes, I guess it is. I'm going to miss you daddy." She told him as they stood and walked over to the door. Aleisa embraced her father, who returned it strongly.

"Now are you sure you'll be alright getting to the station by yourself?" he asked as they broke apart. Aleisa rolled her eyes with a soft smile.

"Yes I'll be fine. Dad I'm 17 now, you don't have to worry about me all the time." She scolded him gently. The older man sighed and ran a hand through his now greying hair. He couldn't help but worry. She was his little girl who had grown up into a beautiful young woman over the past year.

"I know but it's my job. That and scaring away any boys who show interest." He told her with a threatening tone at the end. Aleisa smiled softly. He only had to worry about one boy….if she ever found him again.

"Don't worry, I doubt you'll have to even think about that anytime soon." She assured with a small laugh. Her father laughed a little too.

"Good." He told her. They both smiled at each other for a moment. Aleisa took in a breath and picked up her luggage.

"Well goodbye." She told him. Her father hugged her again and Aleisa attempted to return it with bulky bags in her hand.

"Goodbye tiger. Now I don't want any letters home about you getting in trouble while you're there!" Her father shouted as she walked away from her house. Aleisa shook her head fondly at him before making her way towards the subway station.

Outside the station Susan was reading a magazine while waiting for her younger sister to arrive. A boy about her age walked up next to her at the stand but stared awkwardly at Susan. She glanced over but quickly looked away from the boy.

"You go to St. Finbar?" the boy asked her as more of a statement. Startled she looked over at the glasses wearing young man.

"That's right." She told him and looked back at the magazine.

"I go to the Hendon House, across the road." The boy continued, not taking the hint. Susan didn't respond.

"I've seen you. Sitting by yourself." He continued. Susan gave him an uncomfortable look. That wasn't creepy at all.

"Yes well, I prefer to be left alone." She told him pointedly and turned away.

"Me too." He agreed almost too eagerly. Susan's eyes widened in annoyance at the relentless efforts of the boy.

"What's your name?" the boy asked. Susan sighed in annoyance and turned to him with a polite look.

"Phyllis." She lied. Not a second later Lucy came running up to them.

"Susan!" she called frantically, killing the older girls lie. Lucy raced up to her sister.

"You'd better come quickly." She urged. Susan glanced over at the boy before picking up her bag and following Lucy.


	3. Chapter 3

Aleisa made her way through the subway station. It was quite crowded with all the students headed for St. Finbar and Hendon House. She passed by a group of boys that eyed her up but she simply ignored it and walked away. It's not like she had eyes for any of them anyway. The only boy she was on the lookout for was a tall, blonde haired, blue eyed boy that in another lifetime had been her husband. She reached towards her neck where the ring was on a chain as a necklace. Her father had become overly curious about the boy who gave it to her and since she couldn't exactly tell him the whole truth she took it off her hand and wore it around her neck now so avoid lying to her father constantly. Keeping her head down she continued on, lost in her own world thinking about Peter and where he was now. Was he in England again? How much had he changed? Did he move on from her?

"Aleisa?!" Suddenly a familiar voice brought her out of her train of thought. It couldn't be could it? Aleisa whipped around, looking for the familiar shade of blonde hair. However the voice never returned and she couldn't see anything over the growing crowd. There must be some fight or something childish happening over there, she thought to herself. With a heavy sigh she realized it must have been her imagination that Peter was calling for her.

Peter was down in the subway, waiting on his siblings to arrive. He stood by the edge of the walkway, keeping an eye out for familiar faces. He was headed to Hendon House for another year of school. Except this year he was troubled with the fact that he was going to possibly be taken farther away from wherever Aleisa was. If he left for the school year who knows what would happen. It became almost instinctive do a double take at every raven haired girl his age now, hoping that it would be her. He still missed her terribly and it had even soured his mood all the time. Peter had lashed out a lot more and was testier than he ever had been. Being away from Aleisa so long had changed him. He couldn't help but constantly wonder where she was or if she still cared about him. After he was the one to leave her on accident. As his eyes scanned the crowds of students one girl in particular caught his attention. She was quite a ways down but Peter could have sworn it was her.

"Aleisa?!" he called out, hoping she would respond. However before he could see if the girl would, a group of boys ran into him.


	4. Chapter 4

Lucy and Susan made their way down to the subway. The girls pushed their way through the loud crowd of students that had gathered to watch the fight going on down below. The two finally were able to see what all the fuss was about and when they did their faces dropped. Peter was in the center fighting off two other boys. When they yanked him around he made eye contact with his sisters giving him disappointed looks. However he was quickly thrown into the wall and held down as the other boy started kneeing him in the gut. After a moment's pause Peter threw one of the boys off of him but was then pushed by another. Susan watched in disapproval. This was a common occurrence now. Suddenly she glanced over as Edmund hurried past her, straight towards the fight to help his brother.

"Edmund!" Lucy shouted but it was lost in the large crowd. As one of the boys was about to hit peter again Edmund leaped from the crowd and tackled him to the ground. Edmund and one of the boys continued wrestling while another two dragged Peter over towards the tracks. They shoved him down towards the edge and one pinned him while the other began kicking the downed boy. Peter shouted in pain but before he could land another blow Edmund tackled the boy. Again saving Peter from more nasty blows. Suddenly the sound of whistles could be heard and the crowd rapidly dispersed as the cops came running towards them. The guards quickly broke up the group of brawling boys.

"Act your age." One officer scolded peter before letting him go. Peter glanced up at his sisters before walking over to get his bags.

The Pevensie siblings all walked over to a bench and set their stuff down. Edmund on one end, followed by Peter then Lucy and Susan. Lucy was rubbing peter's arm motherly while Edmund plopped down by his brother.

"You're welcome." Edmund told his brother. Peter scoffed and looked back at him.

"I had it sorted." He countered before standing up.

"What was it this time?" Susan asked tiredly. Peter tuned to look at her.

"He bumped me." He simply told her.

"Well what had you so distracted that you couldn't have avoided them?" Edmund piped up. Peter looked down and was silent for a moment.

"I thought I saw Aleisa. But he bumped me before I could tell." He muttered sadly. The siblings looked at each other in pity. That explained some of why he lashed out so fiercely.

"So you hit him?" Lucy asked getting back to the previous conversation.

"No, after he bumped me they tried to make me apologize. That's when I hit him." Peter elaborated. The other three shook their heads at him.

"Is it that hard just to walk away?" Susan sarcastically asked her brother.

"I shouldn't have to." He told her haughtily.

"I mean don't you ever get tired of being treated like a kid?" Peter asked them.

"Um…we are kids." Edmund pointed out with a 'duh' tone.

"Well I wasn't always." Peter countered, remembering all the adult years he had with Aleisa back in Narnia. All the Pevensies shared a look, knowing what he meant. Peter sighed.

"It's been a year. How long does he expect us to wait?" Peter asked them as he sat back on the bench.

"I think it's time to accept that we live here. There's no use pretending any different." Susan told him sternly, her voice softening at the end. Peter looked away sadly.

Susan's eyes widened as she noticed the boy from the magazine stand headed their way. She whipped around to her siblings.

"Pretend you're talking to me." She told them. They all looked at her confused.

"We are talking to you." Edmund pointed out sassily. Susan gave him an unamused look.

"OW!" Lucy shouted as she shot off the bench.

"Quiet Lu." Susan mumbled.

"Something pinched me." Lucy pointed to the bench.

"OW stop pulling!" Peter shouted at Edmund and got off the bench too.

"I'm not touching you" his brother countered in confusion.

"Will all of you just…what is that?!" Susan shouted as she and Edmund leapt off the bench. Suddenly the world started to blur and the train was moving by them much faster than should be possible.

"It feels like magic" Lucy told them.

"Everyone hold hands." Susan ordered.

"I'm not holding your hand." Edmund shouted at peter over the train. Peter growled and grabbed his hand anyway. The siblings stood there and watched as no one else seemed to notice what was going on. Above them the tiles of the ceiling were chipping away and the lights flickering rapidly. The sibling watched as the wind whipped around them and the station was being torn away, literally. Through the train windows they watched as flickering of scenery flashed by, alternating between cement wall and a beach. Suddenly the train vanished and they found themselves standing in a brightly lit cave.

Aleisa was making her way over towards one of the stops when she was nearly knocked over by a gust of wind. Getting her bearings back she looked around curiously. That wind wasn't something normal. It was almost…..magical? She continued walking slowly and suddenly stopped again as the train ran by her at an alarmly fast pace. She set her suitcase down by one of the benches, noticing that no one else was paying attention to what was going on. Was she the only one that could see and feel this? She smiled in amazement as the station around her seemed to rip away. Was this it? Was she going back? As Aleisa watched the zooming train she saw flickers of different scenery flashing in the windows. Scenery that she could only recognize as one place, no matter how long she had been gone. Aleisa smiled and closed her eyes embracing what was to come. Soon enough she felt the rush and noise of the train stop and opened her eyes. She smiled broadly at what she saw.


	5. Chapter 5

The Pevensies slowly walked until they were standing side by side at the entrance of the cave. In front of them was a large beach with the crystal clear waters and beautiful rocks jutting out from places here and there. They would recognize the majestic scenery anywhere. They were home, they were back in Narnia. They all just stood there a moment, taking in the reality of this with small smiles on their faces. With a smug grin Lucy took a step forward and turned to look at her siblings. Susan looked down at her for a moment. Lucy's smiled broadened and the two girls took off towards the water in pure joy. The boys make eye contact and Peter playfully nudged Edmund backwards before taking off after their sisters, laughing as they ran. The four of them ran along the shore and began shedding their uniforms as they did. There was no need for the warm clothes as they had the bright Narnian sun above them. Once enough of their clothes were off they all dashed into the water, shouting out playful taunts and laughing as they did. Peter and Edmund immediately began splashing water at each other while the girls waded in slowly. Eventually all four where splashing around and jumping into the water like little kids as they reveled in the idea of being back. There was nothing that could possibly dampen their mood at the moment. The siblings played around for a few minutes before they noticed Edmund staring up at the cliffs above them.

"Ed?" Susan asked, her smiled fading a little bit in confusion. Peter noticed his brother's silence and looked over at him.

"What is it?" he asked. Edmund glanced over at him before looking back at the overgrown cliffs.

"Where do you suppose we are?" Edmund asked no one in particular. Peter shot him a quizzical look.

"Well where do you think?" he asked sarcastically, gesturing around him.

"Well, I don't remember any ruins in Narnia." Edmund told him, still staring up. Peter scrunched up his brows and followed his brother's line of sight. The four of them dropped into silence as they realized he was right. Up on the cliffs above them there was scattered ruins of what looked to be a large castle amidst the vegetation. After a moment of though peter made his way out of the water and led the way so they could investigate the ruins.

Aleisa stood there in silence for a moment, taking in the view before her. Her eyes scanned the lush forest before her. She was standing on an overhanging section of cliff. With a broad smile she quickly shed her coat and all the other unnecessary clothing items like her tie and sweater. She began running through the familiar forest, filling the silence with her laughter. She began making her way over to a small field of grass near the end of the cliff. She ran into the clearing and spread her arms out wide just soaking in the bright sun that she had dearly missed in her time back in London. She could smell the salty ocean that was spread out before her. Aleisa let out a contented sigh and flopped backwards onto the lush grass below her. She spent the next few minutes staring up at the clear blue of the sky and smiling in contentment. She was back home. Back where she had been her happiest. Once she had taken enough time soaking up the reality of the situation she sat up and took a better look at her surroundings. Aleisa knew Narnia very well by the time she disappeared yet this place was only vaguely familiar. Like something had changed, but she couldn't quite place it. Looking down at the cliffs below her she noticed something peculiar. Getting up onto her knees she leaned forward to get a closer look. Down below was an overgrown forest surrounding what seemed to be a set of ruins. Aleisa scrunched up her face in confusion. She didn't remember having any ruins in Narnia. Staring down at the abandoned stone pillars she couldn't help but shake the feeling that she had been there before. Aleisa stood up and glanced around for a path down to the ruins. She wouldn't know for sure until she got down there to investigate the ruins herself.


	6. Chapter 6

After a mild walk the siblings eventually made their way up to the ruins. Peter slowly walked through the grounds, glancing around for any familiarity as he surveyed the scattered pillars of stone among the shrubbery and trees that had now taken over. The place looked like it had been empty for centuries. Edmund walked through a different section, his satchel at his side, as he looked around a lone staircase. Obviously there had been many levels to this giant building at one point. Susan walked around trying to see anything familiar while Lucy helped as she munched on an apple.

As Peter wandered his mood had significantly dampened as he was reminded that not everything was perfect. Aleisa was still missing. The feeling of loss was hitting him harder than it ever had back home. This time he was back in Narnia in the place he loved without the woman he loved. He knew that she would have been thrilled to be back, just as they were. He wandered out a little further than where his siblings were. Peter walked around what seemed to be the old gardens of the place. Large overgrown hedges and flowers were everywhere, along with what used to be a gazeebo. He squinted his eyes at the bits of stone benches still left there. It looked so familiar, but why? Suddenly he heard a sound off to his left, and he jerked around. Nothing was there. However Peter didn't believe that he was alone. Someone or something else was nearby. Peter steeled himself in case the unknown creature jumped out at him. His head jerked around again as he heard another crunch of leaves that was barely audible. Now he knew where it was. Silently he crept around and hid behind one of the larger bench sections in the garden. Peter kept his head cocked to listen as the mystery person walked closer at a slow pace. Suddenly he saw the tip of a shoe and without thinking he lunged at the person, tackling them to the ground.

Aleisa carefully followed various paths down towards the cliff with the stone ruins. As she neared parts of it she could hear shuffling and decided that since she had no weapons at the moment that it was best for her to steer clear of whoever was over there. So she made her way over towards the edge of the building. Following hidden paths she made her way over to what looked like a long lost garden. It must have been ages since this place was last inhabited by the looks of it. In a smaller clearing she could see bits and pieces of what looked like stone benches. Before she could get closer she heard shuffling and paused in her steps. She wasn't alone here. Aleisa took a cautious step forward but winced as she accidentally stepped on a branch. She froze in place. After a few moments of silence she let out a relived breath and made her way forward once more. However the shoes she was currently wearing were not made for walks in the forest, so she made a bit more noise that she would have liked. Just as she was about to walk into the clearing she paused again and scanned for any other sign of life. She didn't see anything but still kept her guard up. Aleisa slowly made her way across the clearing. As she was stepping next to one of the benches she was suddenly thrown to the ground and had the wind knocked out of her. She coughed violently and groaned.

"Aleisa?" a quiet voice asked. Her eyes snapped open in disbelief. The two of them froze and stared at each other for a moment. Snapping out of his trance Peter immediately sat up and yanked Aleisa into his arms. She was practically sitting on his lap but neither one cared at the moment. She urgently clung to his neck and let out quiet sobs of happiness. Peter was just as emotional while he held her tight, never wanting to let go.

"I can't believe you're really here." She muttered into his shoulder. Peter hugged her tighter and smiled.

"I'm just happy that you're ok." He told her and pulled back from the hug just enough to plant a fervent kiss to her lips. Aleisa eagerly responded and the two repeatedly peppered kisses on each other's lips. After a few moments they stopped to catch their breath but remained in each other's arms. Both were still waiting to wake up and realize that this was some cruel dream. But it wasn't.

"I was beginning to think I wasn't ever going to see you again." Aleisa told him with a watery smile. Peter beamed back, getting lost in the sea green eyes he had missed so much.

"I told you I would always come back for you." He reminded her gently. Aleisa smiled brightly at him, remembering the last thing she heard from him. Eventually the two got up and made their way back towards the others, who eagerly embraced their long lost sister in law. Once all five had recovered from their emotional reunion they all remembered where they were and got back to investigating the ruins.

Peter climbed up one of the abandoned staircases and scanned the area around them, with Aleisa's hand securely locked in his. He was being super clingy and protective but Aleisa didn't mind one bit. She had no desire to be away from him after being separated for so long.

There were many rock pillars everywhere but most was either weathered away or overrun by the vegetation. Below them Lucy wandered over to what looked like a balcony that looked over the vast seashore below. She tilted her head while she took in the scenery as the breeze blew her hair.

"I wonder who lived here?" she commented as she turned back to look at Susan. Susan glanced around before her gaze caught something. She bent down and picked up a golden figurine of a centaur.

"I think we did." She answered while gazing at the figurine. Lucy scrunched up her face in confusion and walked over to Susan too get a better look at the object in her hand. As she did Edmund walked around the corner and joined them, followed by Peter and Aleisa. Edmund's eyes lit up as he saw what Susan was holding.

"Hey that's mine. From my chess set." He told them.

"Which chess set?" Peter questioned. Edmund gave him a look.

"Well I don't think he exactly has a solid gold chess set in Finchley?" Aleisa answered sarcastically on Edmund's behalf. Peter shot her a playful glare but just smiled in defeat. Oh how he missed her. Meanwhile, Edmund was taking the piece from Susan's hand. Lucy looked back over the ruins and spotted a place that seemed familiar.

"It can't be." She muttered before rushing over to the pillars. Her sibling followed behind.

"Don't you see?" Lucy pointed to the pillars.

"What?" Peter asked still not understanding. Lucy took his hand and placed him at one of the center pillars.

"Imagine walls." She explained while placing her siblings and Aleisa in a specific order.

"And columns there. And a glass roof." Lucy told them as they all gazed out, imagining what was once there. Their eyes widened as they finally realized what these ruins were.

"Cair Paravel." Peter muttered, giving a name to the place where they were standing. Their castle was now nothing but rubble.

A group of soldiers made their way back across the bridge towards the dark castle. Lord Miraz was up on one of the balconies, holding his newborn son when he heard the sound of horses. Looking up he saw General Glozelle returning with some of his men, those that were still alive at least. Miraz frowned and returned the baby back to his mother before walking down to meet them. He stormed into the stables and set his eyes on a body they was strewn over one of the horse's back. Miraz eagerly headed towards it before a hand reached out to stop him.

"Wait my Lord, it is not what you think." General Gloselle warned. Miraz frowned.

"Then what is it?" he asked the man.

"We're not exactly sure." Glozelle honestly answered. This caused Miraz to frown even more. The general nodded to the soldier next to the body and the man lifted the hood. Miraz gasped.

"It's not possible…" he muttered, looking closer at the unconscious dwarf. Miraz looked back at the general, a plot forming in his mind.


	7. Chapter 7

The siblings and Aleisa had wondered around what was now an island. Aleisa couldn't help but wonder how long they had been gone. It was at least long enough for their beautiful castle to fall into extreme ruin. Edmund led the way as they walked along the edges, looking for anything that lasted. They came across a small familiar wall with a sealed door. However Edmund noticed a large rock that didn't belong. He knelt down next to it.

"Catapults." He muttered.

"What?" Peter asked as he walked up behind his brother. The girls followed. Edmund looked back at them.

"This didn't just happen. Cair Pairavel was attacked." He explained. Aleisa swallowed and glanced over at Peter who matched her expression. The guilt was beginning to settle in, they had left and then their land was attacked. Peter said nothing and walked over towards the wall. Edmund followed and the two boys tore away some of the branches and leaves away from the entrance. Peter and Edmund pushed against the wall and it slid away to reveal another door made of wood. Aleisa glanced at the other girls before walking forward. With the door being so rotted it only took a couple of good shoves for Peter to bust a hole in it. From there he pried the lock away and pushed the door open. Aleisa smiled to herself. Even after a year in England it seemed that Peter hadn't lost his physique. The five of them looked down the dark stairwell.

With a sigh Peter reached down and began tearing off the bottom of his collared shirt. Edmund watched with interest and glanced over at the girls who were somewhat confused. The four watched in silence as Peter bent down and tied the fabric to a piece of a branch.

"I don't suppose you have any matches do you?" Peter asked, gesturing to the satchel that Edmund was still carrying. Edmund tried to hide his smirk as he opened it up.

"Well no but…." He reached in and pulled out a torch (flashlight).

"…would this help?" he asked innocently. Peter shot him a 'really' look while Aleisa giggled.

"You might have mentioned that a bit sooner." Peter told him with an exasperated smile. Susan and Lucy held back their own amused smiles. Edmund shrugged and led the way. Aleisa followed and laughed again as Peter shook his head, throwing the useless stick away. Aleisa walked up beside Edmund and shot him a smirk.

"You knew what he was doing the whole time didn't you?" she asked him, already guessing the answer. Edmund shot her a cheeky smile and she giggled while smacking his chest in mock admonishment. She had missed him.

They slowly walked down the stairs, following behind the light that Edmund's torch was giving off. Soon enough they made their way down to a giant room that seemed untouched, other than the collection of dust everywhere. Aleisa marveled beside Lucy at the beauty of it. On the bottom floor there were chests lined up with statues of them in their golden days behind each one. The two girls looked at each other before rushing after the rest of them down the spiral staircase. At the bottom was an unlocked gate. Once they came through they all looked around with small smiles.

"I can't believe it. It's still here." Aleisa marveled out loud. Out of all the destruction this hidden room still remained. Each of them rushed towards their designated chest. Peter and Aleisa looked around at the odds and ends of treasure that were also stored down here. They would smile at each other whenever they found one that was coupled with a memory.

"I was so tall." Lucy commented as she pulled out one of her old dresses. They all turned to look at her.

"You were older then." Susan told her with a smile. Lucy smiled at the joke and put the dress back.

"As opposed to hundreds of years later, when you're younger." Edmund chimed in, wearing a helmet that was now, way too big. The other four laughed along with him at the thought. Peter looked over at his chest and slowly walked over to it.

"Susan what is it?" He heard Aleisa call over from beside him. Susan was rummaging through her chest with a frown.

"My horn, I must have left it on my saddle, the day we went back." She explained. At the mention of that day Peter looked away sadly and back up at the statue of his older self. Aleisa couldn't help but notice that he seemed a bit more distant then she remembered. However she couldn't blame him as it was probably a sore subject and being back here opened up old wounds. The other four watched him as he slowly opened the chest and reached in, grabbing his sword. He unsheathed it and looked down at the inscription on the blade.

"When Aslan bares his teeth, then winter meets its death…" Peter read off.

"When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." Aleisa finished from heart. The two of them head read the sword so many times that they knew it by heart. Peter looked over at her with a small smile but it was soon lost by the sorrow he was feeling.

"Everyone we knew, Mr. Tumnus, Orious, and the beavers…they're all gone." Lucy sadly told them, finally letting the reality sink in. Aleisa felt tears come to her eyes. All of those she had cared about had been taken from her, just like the Pevensies when she went back home. Everything they knew had changed in Narnia. Looking around it was obvious that the others were thinking the same things she was.

"I think it's time we found out what's going on." Peter told them, putting on a brave façade. With a sigh Aleisa nodded in agreement.

"Well then, I suggest that we all get out of these clothes." She told them and pulled out one of her more mobile dresses from the chest. She only hoped it still fit. The others nodded and grabbed some clothes too. As she went to follow Susan and Lucy, Peter grabbed Aleisa's arm. She turned to him with a questioning look.

"Just so I know but…..are we still married?" Peter nervously asked her. There was never really an instance that he knew of where a married couple got old, separated and got young, and then went back to another world together so he didn't really know how that would work. Aleisa smiled up at him, realizing that he was really bothered by this. He really cared about their relationship.

"Well do you still have your ring?" she asked him smugly. Peter grinned and held up his right hand where his ring was. Aleisa smiled brightly and pulled out the chain around her neck where her ring was. The two of them smiled at each other.

"Then I guess that answers that question." She told him, leaning forward. Peter smirked at her and captured her lips with another kiss. Aleisa eventually pulled back and looked at him questioningly. That kiss was a bit different than the others.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to change in the same room as you." She told him. Peter huffed and looked away sheepishly. She knew him too well.

"It was worth a shot." He told her. Aleisa laughed and rushed off after the sisters.


	8. Chapter 8

**Just a reminder that I DO NOT own Narnia (books or movies). I only own Aleisa and select scenes that don't show up in the franchise.**

...

Down in the river two Telmarine guards were rowing a boat. One was watching the scenery for any threats while the other kept glancing down at the prisoner below them.

"He won't stop staring." The man told his companion nervously. The other man rolled his eyes.

"So don't look."' He answered with a 'duh' tone. However the man looked back down at the dwarf who was glaring at him. He whipped his eyes back up and continued rowing with a nervous expression. Finally the man was done with all the glaring and stopped rowing.

"Here's far enough." He informed and stood up. The dwarf's eyes widened in alarm as the two men leaned down to pick him up out of the boat and throw him overboard. Suddenly they froze as an arrow lodged itself into the side of the boat.

Up on the bank Susan reached back to retrieve another arrow. The other four raced up to stand beside her. The older three drew their swords while Lucy stood off to the side.

"Drop him." Susan ordered, her arrow pointed at them threateningly. The dwarf's eyes furrowed and he mumbled in what seemed to be an argument. The men looked at each other and did just that. They dropped the dwarf into the river below. The boys immediately dropped their swords and raced towards the water. One of the soldiers picked up a crossbow but Susan was quicker. She loosed her arrow, hitting one in the shoulder and sending him off the edge. The last soldier jumped in after him, out of fear of getting shot.

Below the water the dwarf was frantically trying to swim with his arms and legs bound. Peter dove into the water after him. He quickly grabbed the small man and pushed off the bottom of the river, back to the surface.

While Edmund was pulling the boat back to shore, Peter dragged the nearly drowned dwarf up onto the bank. They all gathered around while Lucy took her knife and cut the man free. Once his hands were out he rolled onto his side, took off the mouth gag, and started sputtering out water. They all waited while the man composed himself. Once he was able to stand back up he shot a glare up at Susan.

"Drop him?!" he asked incredulously. Aleisa and Susan shared a confused look.

"That's the best you could come up with?" he continued.

"A simple thank you would suffice." Aleisa countered sassily.

"They were doing fine drowning me without your help." The man argued back.

"Maybe we should have let them." Peter replied, looking down at the dwarf in slight shock. Aleisa shot him a 'not funny' look.

"Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy gently asked, alleviating the tension between them. The dwarf gave her a look before answering.

"They're Telmarines. It's what they do." The dwarf told them with a sigh.

"Telmarines in Narnia?" Edmund asked in confusion. The dwarf looked at him questioningly.

"Where have you been the few hundred years?" he drawled out.

"It's a bit of a long story." Lucy told him with slight humor. Aleisa smiled at the inside joke and handed Peter back the sword he had dropped. The dwarf stared at the weapon as it changed hands. His face dropped in recognition when he saw the lion on the hilt of it and he looked up at Peter. The man then looked around and got a better look at the five teens standing before him.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" he groaned. The five looked at each other in confusion.

"You're it? You're the kings and queens of old?" the dwarf asked them. Peter straightened up at hearing this.

"High King Peter…..the Magnificent." He introduced himself, sticking a hand out towards the dwarf. The man jerked is head back a little in surprise.

"You probably could have left off the last bit." Aleisa muttered, not looking at him. She and Edmund were facing each other trying not to laugh. However the dwarf did laugh out loud.

"Probably." He muttered in agreement. Aleisa smiled down at him. She was starting to like this guy. Peter however cleared his throat in slight embarrassment and straightened back up.

"You might be surprised." He told the man and drew his sword.

"Oh you don't want to do that boy." The dwarf warned.

"Not me….her." Peter clarified glancing over at his wife. Aleisa smiled as she drew one of her swords, while Peter handed the dwarf his. It had been a while since she got any practice in and she was looking forward to some action. The dwarf looked a bit flustered and hesitantly took the sword. When Peter let go the dwarf's arm dropped at the weight of it. Edmund smirked over at his sister- in-law. This would be easy…or so they thought. In a flash the dwarf lifted up the sword and skillfully swung it at the girl, catching her slightly off guard. Nevertheless Aleisa easily countered and ducked as the sword was swung at her head. The dwarf used this to his advantage and elbowed her in the nose.

"Aleisa!" Lucy shouted in worry. Peter clenched his jaw. He knew she would be fine but he still didn't like seeing her hurt. Aleisa grabbed her nose in pain and glared at the dwarf.

"Oh are you alright?" the dwarf sarcastically asked before swinging at her again. This time Aleisa dodged and got behind the dwarf. She swiftly hit the dwarf on the backside with the flat end of the sword. The siblings giggled. The man glared at the dark haired girl and turned to face her. He growled and before swinging again at the girl which Aleisa parried before swinging at his head. The dwarf ducked and swung low. Aleisa leaped over the sword before deflecting another hit. The two parried viscously back and forth until Aleisa swiftly knocked the sword away from the man and pointed her own down at the dwarf's nose. The dwarf looked up at the girl in shock, his eyes wide and mouth hanging open. The dwarf fell backwards into the sand.

"Beards and Beadsteads….maybe that horn worked after all." He commented while looked at them. The five of them shared confused looks.

"What horn?" Lucy asked.


	9. Chapter 9

Caspian groaned groggily and slowly opened his eyes. As his vision slowly came into focus he could see a girl leaning over him with a comforting expression. His eyes widened up even more in awe of the angelic face before him. There was a soft glow around her that made her features more delicate and pronounced. She was about his age with long flowing raven locks and the deepest sea green eyes that he had ever seen. Caspian was completely entranced by her beauty and aura. In the few seconds he had been gazing up at her he could tell that she had some type of high status. Just from the way her eyes held pride and wisdom. Maybe she was a princess of some sort. With a soft smile she reached over and placed her hand gently on his cheek.

"Who are you?" Caspian quietly asked. She didn't answer immediately.

"Don't worry about that just yet. But I promise we will meet very soon." She told him. Caspian's breath was taken away by the melodic sound of her voice. But something struck him as odd.

"What do you mean very soon?" he questioned. She was right in front of him. What was she talking about? The girl smiled knowingly.

"This is just a dream Caspian." She told him gently. Caspian frowned.

"Then how am I supposed to meet you if you aren't real?" he asked again. This whole situation was very confusing. She chuckled gently at his expression.

"Well maybe not a dream then, think of it more as a…..vision of sorts." She clarified. Caspian continued gazing at her, enjoying whatever time he had with her. Suddenly a brighter light began shining in behind her. The girl looked back at it before smiling down at Caspian.

"It's time for you to wake up now." She informed him and stood up from where she was sitting beside him. Caspian quickly sat up in protest.

"Wait, don't go just yet. What's your name?" he frantically asked. The fading beauty simply smiled.

"In due time my Prince." She told him before fading away into the blinding light.

...

Caspian woke up, for real, this time and groaned as his eyes slowly opened. Why did such a great dream have to end like that? As his eyes came into focus, he became more alert. The events from the previous night came flooding back to him. The last thing he remembered was getting struck on the head by a…..dwarf? He laid still while his eyes darted back and forth around the room curiously. The ceiling seemed to be made of polished wood and it had some beading across it. Quite off. He slowly sat up, acknowledging the pain in his head. Glancing beside him he saw that everything was almost miniature in comparison to him. He closed his eyes and rubbed the bandage on his throbbing head.

"The bread is so stale." He heard a male voice complain from the other room. Caspian furrowed his brows and continued listening as he took the bandage off.

"Well I'll just give him some soup then for when he comes around." A gentler male voice suggested.

"Well I don't think I hit him hard enough." The first voice complained agian. Caspian slowly edged along the wall closest to the opening.

"Nickabrik he's just a boy." The gentle voice scolded.

"He's a Telmarine not some lost puppy." Nickabrik countered. Caspian peeked around the corner and his eyes widened as he saw a small kitchen with a dwarf at the table and a talking badger holding a bowl of soup. He was a bit freaked out, after all he had been told that Narnians were extinct.

"You said we were going to get rid of him." Nickabrik, the dwarf, growled at the badger.

"No, I said I'd take care of him." The badger countered. Caspian gasped and jerked back around the corner.

"We can't kill him now…I just bandaged his head." The badger continued. Caspian frantically thought about some type of plan to escape. These creatures had just said they were going to kill him. He had just escaped a near death experience the night before and he had no intention of repeating it.

"It would be like murdering a guest." The badger told his friend, bringing Caspian back to the conversation.

"Oh and how do you think his friends are treating their guest?" the dwarf countered bitterly.

"Trumpkin knew what he was doing….it's not the boy's fault." The badger told his friend sorrowfully, thinking about the other dwarf that had attacked the other Telmarine soldiers. Suddenly Caspian shot out of his hiding place. He barreled into the badger, knocking the soup bowl out of his hands and made a dash for the door. However Nickabrik was faster and held up his sword. Caspian took a step back and glanced around for a weapon. He settled on a fire poker and held it up. Before either of them could strike the badger ran in between them.

"Stop it, stop this!" he shouted. However they didn't listen. Nickabrik swung at the prince and the two of them went back and forth with skilled parries and deflections.

"No….stop it….no no no!" the badger continued protesting while jumping out of the way of the flying weapons. Caspian and Nickabrik came to a standstill.

"I told you we should have killed him when we had the chance." Nickabrik spat at his friend, not taking his eyes off Caspian.

"You know why we can't." The badger told him defiantly.

"If we're taking a vote, I'm with him." Caspian chimed in nodding towards the badger.

"We can't let him go." Nickabrik reminded the badger before striking at the boy again.

"He's seen us!" the dwarf roared, making Caspian fall backwards onto the stairs.

"That's enough Nickabrik! Or do I have to sit on your head again." the badger threatened. Nickabrik paused his movements, but neither one put down their weapon. Nickabrik scowled at the badger and looked away in slight embarrassment.

"And you." The badger turned to the boy. Caspian looked down at him like a boy who was caught sneaking sweets.

"Look what you made me do." The badger scolded while picking up the dropped bowl. Caspian furrowed his brows.

"I spent half the morning on that soup." The badger continued grumbling and cleaning up the mess. Caspian glanced between the two of them in confusion.

"What are you?" he asked, still not dropping his makeshift weapon.

"You know it's funny you would ask that. You'd think most people would know a badger when they see one." The badger absently answered while busying himself around the kitchen. Caspian was still confused as that was not exactly what he meant.

"No, no, I mean…." He looked back at the dwarf carefully.

"…you're Narnians…you're supposed to be extinct." he told them. Nickabrik took a step back and gave him a look.

"Sorry to disappoint you." He sarcastically apologized and turned away to put his sword up. Caspian still sat on the steps, stupidly holding up the poker as he tried to process all of this. Nickabrik sat at the table and the badger set out another bowl of soup.

"There you go, still hot." He told the boy.

"Since when do we hold a boarding house for Telmarine soldiers?" Nickabrik asked his companion with a raised brow.

"I am not a soldier. I am Prince Caspian the X." he told them and stood up.

"What are you doing here?" the dwarf asked sincerely. Caspian drooped his head.

"Running away." He told them quietly. The two Narnians glanced at each other in confusion. Caspian walked over and put up the fire poker before beginning his explanation.

"My uncle has always wanted my throne. I suppose…..I have only lived this long because he did not have an heir of his own." He told them, sadly looking into the fire. The badger let out a gasp of pity.

"Well that changes things." The badger told his friend.

"Yea…..I guess we won't have to kill you after all." Nickabrik added.

"You're right." Caspian agreed. He then thought of something and quickly headed to the door, grabbing his vest and putting it on.

"Where are you going?" badger asked him.

"My uncle won't stop until I'm dead." Caspian told them. He wasn't going to put them in danger.

"But you can't leave. You're meant to save us." The badger pleaded. Caspian paused what he was doing and looked over at them.

"Don't you know what this is?" the badger asked as he picked up Susan's horn. Caspian looked down at the horn in thought.


	10. Chapter 10

Back at the castle the old professor wandered back towards his room. However he paused a moment, noticing that his door was already opened. Taking a deep breath he walked in to find Lord Miraz standing in the middle of the room, looking at a book.

"You have quite a collection professor." Miraz mused. The old man fought away his nerves.

"Is there anything in particular that you are looking for my lord?" he kindly asked and set down the scrolls he was carrying.

"I already found what I need. In one of my soldiers!" he angrily spat out and threw down a red feathered arrow onto a page. On the page was a picture of the kings and queens of old. The professor hid a smirk and glanced up at the fuming lord. Miraz sat down at the desk and propped his feet up.

"What do you know of Queen Susan's horn?" Miraz asked the man.

"It was said to be magic." The professor carefully answered. Lord Miraz raised a brow.

"Magic?" he asked.

"The Narnians believed it could summon their kings and queens of old." The professor elaborated. Miraz looked hard at the man, but still couldn't hid the hint of worry in his eyes.

"Well at least, such was the superstition." The professor added with a knowing look. Miraz jerked himself upright before making his way over to stand next to the old man.

"And what does Caspian know of this 'superstition'?" he practically growled.

"My lord you forbade me from mentioning the old tales." The professor countered, not looking up at the man. Lord Miraz 'hmmphed' with a smile before it quickly dropped.

"So I did." He murmured. The two of them turned to see General Glozelle making his way into the room. A few soldiers followed. Knowing what was to happen the professor swiftly turning to face Miraz.

"I will say this. If Caspian does know of the deep magic, my lord would have good reason to be nervous." The old man confidently informed the lord. From there the old man was led away to the dungeons by the soldiers.

...

The Pevensies, Aleisa, and Trumpkin the dwarf, were in the Telmarine boat floating down the river. Peter was in the middle rowing while the rest of them were spaced out along the seats of the boat. Aleisa sat in front of Peter, beside Edmund. She watched with a small smile as they continued down the crystal blue water through a beautiful canyon. Even after being gone for apparently hundreds of years she never could get over how beautiful everything was. However the siblings didn't see it quite like she did. They all kept looking around sadly at how quiet and different everything was. Peter would glance over at Aleisa every so often and let a small smile show on his face. At least someone saw the bright side in this situation.

"They're so still." Lucy noted as they went past a cluster of trees. Trumpkin looked at the girl across from him before looking up at the trees.

"They're trees, what did you expect?" he blandly asked.

"They used to dance." Lucy informed him. The siblings glanced around at each other knowing what Lucy was talking about. Trumpkin sighed.

"It wasn't long after you left that the Telmarines invaded." He began. Peter stopped his rowing so he could listen too along with the rest of them.

"Those who survived retreated to the woods. The trees, they retreated so deep into themselves that they haven't been heard from since." He told the royals.

"I don't understand. How could Aslan have let this happen?" Lucy mused sadly.

"Aslan? I thought he abandoned us when you lot did." Trumpkin muttered bitterly. All five of them turned to look at him with sad expressions. Trumpkin simply looked away, the betrayal evident on his face.

"We didn't mean to leave you know." Aleisa spoke up, her voice wavering a little.

"It makes no difference now does it?" the dwarf countered. She directed her eyes to the bottom of the boat. That was true.

"Get us to the Narnians, and it will." Peter told him and continued rowing. Something in his tone alerted Aleisa. She scrutinized him while he wasn't looking. She couldn't put her finger on it but something was different. It was almost as if he was trying to prove something. The rest of the trip continued in silence, each of the humans lost in their own memories of the old Narnia.

Eventually they made it to the river band that Trumpkin directed them too. He hopped out to tie down the boat somewhere while the rest of them piled out to make the boat lighter. The older teens all helped to pull the boat onto the shore while Lucy wandered a little ways away. As she walked she came across a bear scavenging along the water.

"Hello there." She chimed with a smile and continued towards the animal. Her voice caught the attention of the others. The bear looked up and grunted before standing up on its hind legs. However its actions didn't faze Lucy.

"It's alright we're friends." She assured the beast. Aleisa could tell that something was off and began walking towards the two cautiously. The bear became a little more agitated. Trumpkin came walking back and looked over to where the youngest queen was. He immediately went on high alert.

"Don't move your majesty!" he called out in alarm. Lucy turned to look at him in confusion. When she did the bear started charging towards her.

"Lucy!" Aleisa called out in alarm and bolted towards the younger girl. Lucy whipped around and now saw the danger. Lucy started running back towards the rest of them. All the rest of them had left their weapons in the boat except for Susan.

"Stay away from her!" she warned and raised her bow while the boys lunged for their weapons. Aleisa kept racing towards Lucy. She had absolutely no plan but she was hoping she could figure out something on the fly. She was still sometimes the act first think later kinda girl. However Susan's threat didn't stop the bear. Suddenly Lucy tripped and started scrambling backwards.

"Shoot Susann!" Aleisa ordered as she ran even harder towards Lucy. Susan froze. As the bear closed in on Lucy, Aleisa slid down and covered the younger girl protectively. The two of them screamed as the bear raised up on its hind legs to attack. Before the bear could strike an arrow pierced its chest, making the beast collapse. The two girls looked back to see that Susan hadn't released her bow. It was Trumpkin that had made the shot. The dwarf looked at the girl beside him and trudged over towards the bear.

"Why didn't he stop?" Susan asked, still staring at the scene.

"I suspect he was hungry." Trumpkin deadpanned as he continued walking. Peter and Edmund raced towards the two girls who were still in shock on the ground. Susan however hung back in shame. If Trumpkin hadn't of been there, Aleisa and Lucy would be dead. The boys raced over and helped the two of them up, swords raised towards the still bear just in case. Aleisa clung onto Peter while Edmund had a hold of Lucy. Trumpkin walked around prodding the bear to make sure it was dead.

"Thanks." Aleisa murmured. Trumpkin turned to look at her but said nothing.

"He was wild." Edmund pointed out in confusion.

"I don't think he could talk at all." Peter added while rubbing Aleisa's arm comfortingly. The five of them stared down at the limp body.

"You get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become." Trumpkin informed them. He knelt down and pulled out his knife.

"You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." He added and slit the bear's throat. Aleisa sighed and looked up at her husband in sadness. This was worse than they thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Caspian walked through the forest, the noonday sun shining down through the trees. He paused and sighed in annoyance.

"I can hear you." He informed as he turned around slowly. Badger and Nikabrik peeked out from behind the trees. Caspian looked at them tiredly.

"I just think that we should wait for the kings and queens." Badger told him as he stepped out from his hiding place. The young prince sighed again and continued on.

"Fine go on then, see if the others will be as understanding." Badger called out haughtily.

"Maybe I'll come with you. I wanna see you try to explain things to the Minotaurs." Nikabrik chimed in as he caught up to the prince. Caspian froze and turned to look at them warily.

"Minotaurs…..they're real?" he asked as the two stood in front of him.

"And very bad tempered." Badger informed as he trudged onward.

"And not to mention big." Nikabrik added.

"Huge." Badger agreed. The two of them were trying to scare the prince a bit, and it was working. The two smaller companions started walking on. Caspian followed behind them, eager to hear more.

"What about centaurs? Do they still exist?" he asked curiously.

"Now the centaurs will probably fight on your side. But there's no telling what the others might do." Badger explained to the boy. Caspian thought for a moment and bit his lip.

"What about Aslan?" he carefully asked. The two paused in front of him and glanced at each other.

"How do you know so much about us?" Nikabrik asked suspiciously. Badger stood beside him with arms crossed.

"Stories." Caspian simply told them.

"Wait a minute, your father told you stories about Narnia?" badger asked almost hopefully. It wasn't often that Telmarines were interested in the Narnian history. Caspian's expression dropped.

"No, my professor." He told them. The Narnians glanced at each other once more in silent conversation.

"Listen, I'm sorry. These are not the kind of questions you should be asking." Caspian told them, his mood changing quickly. The prince walked ahead of them once more. Suddenly badger sniffed the air.

"What is it?" Nikabrik asked.

"Human" the badger answered, still looking for the source.

"Him?" Nikabrik gestured to Caspian.

"No….them!" badger warned and looked back from where they came. In the distance they could see a group of Telmarine soldiers charging towards them with crossbows.

"Run!" Caspian shouted, and they all complied. The three of them bolted through the forest, dodging crossbows as they went. Suddenly they heard a pained shout from badger behind them. Caspian and Nikabrik both turned around in alarm. Badger had been hit in the leg and couldn't move on. Nikabrik started to run back for his friend but Caspian stopped him.

"Wait, I'll go." He told the smaller man and darted back to get his new companion. Caspian knelt down next to badger and stared up at the soldiers that were quickly rushing towards them. Badger quickly reached into his satchel and tried to hand the horn to Caspian.

"Here, take it. Its more important than I am." Badger pleaded as he saw the men getting closer. Caspian shook his head and pocketed the horn before reaching again for the animal. When he looked up he saw the Telmarines were right on them. However before anyone could shoot they started falling down one by one, disappearing into the ferns. Caspian's eyes furrowed in confusion as he watched the soldiers frantically look around to whatever was taking them out. No one could see it. As another man went down the soldiers pushed the threat aside and took aim at Caspian once more. The prince quickly picked up badger and slung him over his shoulders before darting off through the trees once more. As they ran Caspian could hear the shouts of the men that were being attacked by the invisible creature. This made him run even harder. Caspian caught back up with Nikabrik and gently set the badger down.

"Get him out of here." He ordered and turned back around to face what was left of the soldiers. Unsheathing his sword he slowly walked back towards the men. However all he could do was watch as more of the men went down until only one was left. The remaining man pulled out his sword and swung frantically at the brush around him.

"Where are you?" he shouted in alarm. Almost as if it was in response the man went down in one swift motion. Caspian furrowed his brows as he tried to fathom what had just happened. His confusion soon turned to alarm as he watched the bushes move along with the invisible threat heading straight towards him. His eyes widened as it got closer and closer until he tow was thrown onto his back. Looking up from the blow he saw a large mouse standing on his chest. The mouse was holding his rapier towards Caspian threateningly, and had a large feather attached to his head on a hoop.

"Chose your last words carefully Telmarine." The mouse proclaimed. Caspian was baffled.

"You are a mouse." He pointed out dumbly. The mouse sighed in disappointment.

"I was hoping for something a little more original." He told the prince tiredly.

"Pick up your sword." The mouse ordered and wiggled his rapier at the boy. Caspian glanced warily at his weapon lying beside his head.

"Uh….no thanks." He told the mouse.

"Pick it up! I will not fight an unarmed man." The mouse told him.

"Which is why I might live longer if I choose not to cross blades with you noble mouse." Caspian explained.

"I said I wouldn't fight you…" the mouse flourished his sword closer to Caspian's face, causing the prince to flinch.

"…I did not say I'd let you live." The mouse clarified.

"Reepicheep! Stay your blade." The badger called out to the mouse. The mouse's ears perked up.

"Trufflehunter? I trust you have a very good reason for this untimely interruption." The mouse all but pouted.

"He doesn't, go ahead." Nikabrik assured. Trufflehunter shook his head.

"He's the one that blew the horn." Trufflehunter told the mouse. Reepicheep looked down at Caspian in shock.

"Then let him bring it forward." A new voice rang out. Caspian looked up from his position on the ground to see a group of centaurs walking towards them.

"This is the reason we have gathered." The leader spoke up.


	12. Chapter 12

Deep in the woods the group made their way through a rocky area, this time Peter leading the way.

"I don't remember this way." Susan spoke up as they rounded a corner.

"That's what's wrong with girls, they can't carry a map in their heads." Peter quipped with a smug smile and continued on.

"That's because our heads have something in them." Aleisa countered with a smirk. She was walking in between Susan and Edmund, near the back of the group.

"I wish he'd just listened to the DLF in the first place." Susan quietly told the others.

"DLF?" Edmund questioned. Susan and Lucy looked over at him.

"Dear little friend." Lucy answered, sharing a smile with Susan. The three in the back paused and let it soak in.

"Oh that's not at all patronizing is it?" Trumpkin muttered as he stared at the girl. Edmund and Aleisa snickered before continuing on.

After a few more turns they came to a dead end. Peter stared at the wall in front of him with a glare. The others filed in quietly and Aleisa came up to stand next to him.

"I'm not lost." He told her stubbornly.

"No, you're just going the wrong way." Trumpkin chimed in. Peter whipped around to face the dwarf.

"You last saw Caspian in the Shuttering Woods. The quickest way there is over the River Rush." Peter snapped at the man. The others watched the two warily. Trumpkin glanced around.

"Then unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts." The dwarf calmly countered.

"That explains it then. You're mistaken." Peter crossly told him. Aleisa looked over at the boy in slight shock. This wasn't like him at all.

"Peter." She gently tried to get his attention by putting her hand on his shoulder. Peter shrugged her off and stormed off in another direction. Aleisa sighed and glanced back at the dwarf apologetically before following after him.

After another few minutes of walking they came to a giant gorge with a river rushing at the very bottom of it. Peter looked down in irritation.

"You see over time the water erodes the earth's soil and when…"

"Oh shut up." Peter muttered, cutting off Susan's ramblings. Aleisa and Edmund shared a look from behind them.

"Is there a way down?" she asked the dwarf, hoping to spare Peter from more embarrassment.

"Yea….falling." Trumpkin deadpanned. Peter and his sisters turned to face the other three behind them.

"Well we weren't lost." Peter quickly defended, looking at Aleisa. Her face scrunched up in confusion. He didn't have anything to prove to her. It was an honest mistake, anyone would have done it. Especially since they had been gone for hundreds of years.

"There's a fjord near Berona. How do you feel about swimming?" Trumpkin asked, taking the lead this time.

"It's a lot better than walking." Susan quipped as she followed, sending Peter a pointed look. Peter sighed and grudgingly followed too.

"Aslan?" Lucy questioned. The group whipped around to see.

"It's Aslan, look he's right over …." Lucy had turned to look at them excitedly, however when she looked back the lion was gone.

"Do you see him now?" Trumpkin sarcastically asked. Aleisa shot him a glare, making him look away almost sheepishly.

"I'm not crazy. He was there, he wanted us to follow him." Lucy told the others pleadingly. Susan and Peter shared a look.

"I'm sure there's any number of lions in this wood. Just like that bear." Peter gently told his sister.

"I think she'd know Aslan when she saw him." Aleisa spat back in Lucy's defense. Edmund glanced between the couple nervously. It was obvious that there was some tension there.

"Look, I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exist." Trumpkin told the girl.

"Well last time I didn't believe Lucy, I ended up looking pretty stupid." Edmund chimed in, sending a comforting look towards the two girls. Aleisa and Lucy smiled at his willingness to take their side. Peter however was not as convinced. He looked back over at the other side of the gorge.

"Why wouldn't I have seen him?" he questioned.

"Maybe you weren't looking." Aleisa told him gently. Peter glanced between the two girls and shook his head.

"Sorry Lu." He told his sister before walking off after Trumpkin. Lucy looked back over to where the lion previously stood, holding back the tears. This wasn't the first time he hadn't believed her but it still hurt. Aleisa looked between Lucy and Edmund who had hung back too. She sighed and slung her arm around Lucy's shoulder.

"Come on." She told the girl quietly and led her after the others. As she passed Edmund she slung her arm around him too. At least part of her family was on the same page. Now if she could only figure out what was going through Peter's head.

...

As they neared the river of Beruna the group could hear the sounds of shouting and people working. On instinct Aleisa and peter crouched down, leading the way towards the edge of the woods. They made their way over to a large pile of chopped wood on the edge of the clearing. Peter insisted on going first and carefully peaked his head over the top of the pile to see what was going on. After a moment the rest followed. Aleisa's eyes widened as she saw men chopping down the trees and using them to make what looked like a bridge. The six of them watched silently as they surveyed the scene before them. It looked like they were heading towards the forest deep into Narnian territory. At the sound of horses they all ducked down out of sight.

"Perhaps this wasn't the best way to come after all." Aleisa whispered to Peter who had a protective arm around her waist. He nodded in silent agreement. Aleisa craned her neck to look over at the men on the horses. One man in particular caught her eye. He was sitting atop a white stallion and had an evil aura about him. Once the men had ridden farther into the camp they all peaked back over the wood. Peter glared at the Telmarines. How dare they destroy everything. Narnia had fallen far from what it was during their reign and he couldn't help but hate himself for leaving. He had to prove himself a worthy King again and take it back to what it was. Without a word he turned around and made his way back into the woods. Aleisa and Trumpkin glanced at each other before following after.

...

The group quickly made their way back in the direction they had come form and soon ended up back at the gorge.

"So where exactly did you think you saw Aslan?" Peter sheepishly sked his youngest sister. Lucy whipped around to glare at him.

"I wish you'd all stop trying to sound like grownups." She scolded while looking around at the group.

"I didn't think I saw him, I did see him." She told him sternly. Lucy walked over towards the bank where she saw the lion.

"I am a grownup." Trumpkin muttered. Aleisa looked over at him and couldn't stop the smile that slipped onto her face.

"He was right over…." Lucy was cut off when the ground gave out beneath her and she screamed. The rest bolted towards her in alarm. They all looked over and when they did Lucy was perched on a narrow ledge just below them, unharmed. She looked up at her siblings with a small smile.

"Here." She finished. As it turned out the ledge was part of a narrow pathway that led them down safely to the river below. Aleisa couldn't help but smile proudly down at Lucy. Turns out she was right…..again. Once Lucy had stood up the small group made their way down onto the pathway. Aleisa was the first to drop down and Peter soon followed. After him came Trumpkin and the other two Pevensies. As they carefully made their way down to the river below a patch of rocks gave out under Aleisa's foot. She yelped in surprise and braced herself for the fall. However Peter had reached out and yanked her back to his side before she could go anywhere. With a sigh of relief she looked up at him and sent him a grateful smile. Peter sent her one back. The first one she'd seen since they began this whole trip, she noted.

Finally they reached the bottom of the canyon where the river was. As they began their way across the river Lucy stumbled a little but Trumpkin quickly grabbed on to her arm and steadied her. She looked back at him with a smile, and he only nodded in response. Aleisa watched with amusement. Trumpkin tried to act indifferent and grumpy but in reality he was a softy. Especially when it came to Lucy.


	13. Chapter 13

Eventually they made their way out of the gorge and decided to settle down for the night, since it was getting dark. The group made their way into a small clearing deep in the woods.

"We should probably get a fire started tonight." Edmund suggested. Aleisa nodded in agreement as she joined the girls on the log they had sat down on.

"I'll gather some wood. The rest of you set up a pit and get some food." Peter instructed. No one argued and set to work as he walked off into the woods. Aleisa watched him worriedly as he walked away in silence. She could tell that something was off with him and she couldn't figure out what.

"Edmund?" The dark haired boy looked over at her. She gestured for him to follow and walked over into a more secluded area, away from the bustling of the others. Edmund quickly followed after her. When she had walked far enough she turned around to face him, her arm crossed over her chest as she thought.

"What is it?" Edmund gently asked. He knew something was bothering her. Aleisa sighed and looked up at him.

"Somethings wrong. Peter…..he's different and I can't quite place why. You know him sometimes better than he knows himself." She confided. She trusted Edmund to tell her the truth. During their golden years she had grown close with Edmund and valued his opinion. She knew he was very observant and would tell her like it was, which is exactly what she wanted right now. Edmund sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew this topic would come up eventually.

"I honestly don't know. When we left he was heartbroken over leaving you. He wouldn't admit it but he cried for weeks….and then one day something changed. It was almost like he became hard. He got into fights, would search for you relentlessly, and…I honestly don't know….he just couldn't handle the change." Edmund told her. No one could really pinpoint the cause of Peter's sudden personality change. Aleisa nodded in understanding as she processed this.

"OK thanks Edmund." She told him. Aleisa glanced back over to where Peter had disappeared.

"I'm going to go check on him." She informed Edmund before walking over to pick up her swords. After a few minutes of walking she had found Peter staring forlornly at his sword. Noticing that he was deep in thought, Aleisa loudly cleared her throat. He snapped out of his trance like state and looked over at her. She sent him a comforting smile before walking towards him. Peter sheathed his sword.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked her, not unkindly.

"Well you took too long so I decided to make sure you weren't getting into any trouble." She answered with a small smirk. Peter chuckled.

"Sorry, I got lost in thought I guess." He told her distractedly. Aleisa's expression dropped into a more serious one.

"Edmund told me about what happened after you went back." She started. Peter visibly stiffened but didn't respond. Aleisa took another step closer to him.

"What happened?" she gently asked. Peter looked over at her with a confused expression.

"What do you mean what happened? Edmund already told you…."

"No, what happened to make you change so suddenly?" she rephrased. Peter shifted his eyes away from her.

"Nothing changed." He insisted as he looked back at her.

"Peter, the man I knew doesn't lash out at people without true reason. You don't harshly dismiss others opinion so easily. Something changed and I just want to know why." She pressed gently. Peter just stared at her, the confliction flashing across his face as he did. She was the only person who he would let his guard down with.

"I couldn't do anything." He eventually told her. Aleisa silently looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. Peter let out a heavy sigh before speaking up again.

"I couldn't do anything to get back to Narnia. I couldn't do anything to get you back….and even now I couldn't do anything to stop the Telmarines. Aslan made me king, and what kind of king can't even protect his people?" he ranted to her. It killed him inside knowing that he was too weak to do anything to prevent his circumstances.

"So you turned colder?" she gently asked in slight disbelief.

"So I toughened up. I needed to prove that I can make things right. That I can take control of my situation. And that's what I plan on doing now." He told her. Aleisa shook her head.

"Peter you had no control over anything that happened last time….you don't need to prove anything to anyone." She pointed out. However Peter didn't see that. He needed to prove everyone and especially her that he could be strong enough to lead them. To protect them. He needed the control back.

"But I do Aleisa." He countered gently, taking her hands in his. She sighed, seeing that he wasn't going to give up.

"Fine, but just don't let it change you for worse. I love you the way you are and I don't want you to do anything you'll regret." She told him honestly. Peter smiled down at her lovingly. He knew she didn't necessarily agree with him but at least she wasn't fighting him. Sometimes with her he had to take what he could get. He slowly leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. The two eventually pulled away with small smiles on their faces. Peter grinned mischievously and began leaning down for another but she quickly jerked away with a knowing grin.

"Peter, we should proably go and gather that firewood. We've been gone too long already." She scolded. Peter raised a cheeky brow.

"I don't think a few more minutes will hurt…we could stall a bit more, I have some ideas on how to do just that." He told her while taking a few more steps towards her. Aleisa bit her lip andstood where she was, letting him caress her shoulders with his hands. After a moment of thought she leaned up painfully slow and placed a quick kiss on the corner of his lips, much to Peter's surprise. He stared at her with a stunned expression.

"Maybe later, we do need that fire Peter." She told him before walking off. Peter smiled and shook his head in amusement before following after her.

...

After everyone had gone to sleep Lucy was lying on her back looking up at the stars, with the fire crackling behind her.

"Lucy are you awake?" Susan whispered. Lucy didn't answer. Susan tuned over onto her side and looked down at her sister.

"Why didn't I see Aslan?" she asked. It was obvious that she had been mulling the thought over for a while. Lucy scrunched up her face in confusion and rolled over to face her sister.

"You believe me?" she asked curiously.

"Well we got across the gorge." Susan pointed out sheepishly.

"I don't know" Lucy told her, answering the original question. Susan pursed her lips in thought.

"Maybe you didn't really want to." Lucy suggested. Trumpkin, who was awake, listened carefully to the two girls. However Aleisa had also woken up and made eye contact with him, both listening to the conversation. Susan looked down at the grass before looking back up at Lucy thoughtfully.

"You always knew we'd be coming back didn't you?" she asked as more of a statement.

"I hoped so." Lucy answered honestly. Susan sighed and shifted onto her back.

"I had finally gotten used to the idea of being in England." She confessed to her sister. Lucy's face scrunched up in confusion.

"But you're happy to be here aren't you?" she asked, hoping for the best.

"While it lasts." Susan told her honestly. Lucy looked down in sadness, the answer and implications sinking in. Without another word she settled onto her back also and the two drifted off to sleep. Soon after Trumpkin had dozed off too but Aleisa remained awake. It seemed that Peter wasn't the only one who was negatively affected by returning to England. With a sigh she turned over and nuzzled into Peter's side. He tightened his arm around her instinctively, letting out a quite snore. That night Aleisa dreamt about the dark haired boy again. In the dream he was alone in the center of Narnians who were shouting out insults against him. Few came to his defense but as the boy talked and reasoned with the others, they seemed to come to an agreement. He was on their side. From what she could remember she saw centaurs pledging their allegiance to him, followed by the rest of the Narnians. Whoever this was she knew he could be trusted.


	14. Chapter 14

The next morning Aleisa shifted in her sleep but something was off. Her closed eyes squinted in confusion as she realized that no one was next to her. Her eyes snapped open realizing that Peter was missing. Sitting up she looked around the campfire. Lucy was gone too. Immediately she shot up and started waking up the others. As they began coming back into consciousness she heard the sound of shouting and the clanging of swords. Without a word Aleisa snatched up her swords and raced into the forest. She just knew that Peter was part of whatever was going on. As she ran the sound of fighting got louder. Eventually she reached a small clearing, taking in the scene in front of her. Peter was on the ground, a Minotaur heading towards them, and a dark haired boy was frantically trying to get Peter's sword unstuck from a tree.

Aleisa's eyes widened in realization when she saw the boy. He was the one from her dreams. After a second of watching she saw Peter charging towards the boy with a rock in his hands.

"No! Stop!" she quickly shouted running towards them. The two froze in place and looked over at the girl. Caspian's eyes widened as he took a double take at the girl running towards them. She was the one from his dreams. Yet she was more beautiful than he had remembered. The three of them looked around as they saw a crowd of familiar creatures coming out of the surrounding shrubbery. Aleisa let a small smile slip onto her face as she surveyed the growing crowd. They had found the Narnians. Peter turned around and glared tiredly at the dark haired boy who was now pointing the sword at his chest. Aleisa took tentative steps forward.

"Prince Caspian? " The boy in question looked over at her in confusion.

"Yes….." Caspian answered warily.

"I saw you in my dreams." she explained. Peter glanced over at her in slight shock. He didn't know about this.

"…..and who are you?" Caspian asked, his eyes softening when he looked over at her. Peter glared when he noticed. Before they could answer a shout came from behind them.

"Peter! Aleisa!" they heard Susan shouting. The three of them whipped their heads around to see Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Trumpkin come running into the clearing. Caspian stared at them in shock before looking down at the sword he had in his hand. He saw the lion head on the hilt and connected the dots.

"High King Peter, High Queen Aleisa." He stated looking at the two in front of him. Caspian was still a bit stunned. He had been fighting High King Peter and was having visions of High Queen Aleisa.

"I believe you called." Aleisa commended with a gentle smile.

"Well yes but, I thought you'd be older." Caspian muttered and looked at the two before him. Peter bit the inside of his lip, keeping his composure while Caspian basically checked out his wife. Peter instantly disliked the boy.

"Well if you'd like we can come back in a few years." Peter told him and turned slightly.

"No!" Caspian quickly protested.

"No it's alright, your just….you're not exactly what I expected." He admitted and glanced around, his gaze lingering on Susan and Aleisa in particular.

"Neither are you." Edmund commented and glanced around at the group, effectively breaking the silence. He was warily eyeing one of the Minotaurs, remembering whose side they were on during his reign.

"A common enemy unites even the oldest of foes." Trufflehunter wisely told them, gesturing to the once divided creatures of Narnia.

"We have anxiously awaited your return my liege." A large mouse told them as he approached. Peter and Aleisa beamed down at him.

"Our hearts and swords are at your service." The mouse declared with a bow.

"Oh my gosh he is so cute." Lucy whispered to Susan. Suddenly the mouse whipped out his sword and looked around.

"Who said that?!" he demanded. Aleisa put a hand over her mouse to muffle her giggles at his reaction.

"Sorry." Lucy sheepishly apologized. Reepicheep immediately lowered his guard.

"Oh..uh…your majesty. With the greatest respect I do believe courageous, courteous, or chivalrous would better fit a night of Narnia." Reepicheep politely told her.

"Of course, only the best to describe one such as you noble knight." Aleisa added with a smile. Reepicheep puffed his chest out, obviously pleased by her comment.

"Well at least we know some of you can handle a blade." Peter quipped with a smile. Aleisa glanced over at Caspian who frowned at the subtle jab.

"Yes indeed, and I have recently put it to good use securing weapons for your armies." Reepichepp told the high king.

"Good because were going to need every sword we can get." Peter pointedly told Caspian in a demeaning way. Aleisa rolled her eyes. This was going to turn into some macho contest between the two authorities, she just knew it.

"Well then you'll probably be wanting yours back." Caspian calmly told Peter, never breaking eye contact. Aleisa smiled at him, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Peter roughly grabbed the weapon and sheathed it before heading into the woods.

...

The group walked down one of the pathways, following behind Caspian and Peter. It was obvious that the two were wary of each other. Aleisa trailed slightly behind them, just listening as the two discussed the situation. After a while Peter dropped back to talk with Edmund, leaving the other two alone.

"From the stories I remember, I don't think any of them mentioned you being able to talk through dreams." Caspian hesitantly told her. Being around a beautiful girl who was basically a legend was making him quite flustered. Aleisa glanced over at him questioningly and took in his sheepish expression. It was clear that he wasn't sure how she would respond to his presence, after all Peter wasn't shy in showing his dislike for the Telmarine.

"You know; I don't remember anything about that either." She joked, hoping to make him more comfortable. Caspian smiled and shot her a mildly confused look.

"It's never actually happened before. And technically I didn't communicate, I just saw brief visions with you in it." She explained.

"But you did….you talked to me in my own dreams." He told her. Aleisa turned her head towards him fully. Surely he was joking. However, the serious expression on his face confirmed otherwise. Before she could respond Peter made his way up to them again and swiftly grabbed her hand, making eye contact with Caspian over her head. He had been watching and didn't like how easily the two were conversing. After being away from her for so long, Peter's jealousy was easily aroused and Aleisa noticed that he was becoming a bit possessive. She mentally rolled her eyes at his actions but decided not to say anything at the moment. She understood where he was coming from and was trying to be sensitive to his emotions. However, if this kept up she would have something to say about it. She loved the man but did not need him hovering over her all the time.

Near the back of the group Lucy was walking behind the dwarves and their badger friend.

"So what are they like?" Trufflehunter eagerly asked Trumpkin as they walked.

"Malcontents, whiners, stubborn as mules in the morning." He listed off easily.

"Oh…..so you like them then?" Nickabrik casually pointed out.

"Well enough." Trumpkin admitted after a moment. Lucy grinned in amusement. Under all that tough façade, he was really a softy.

Soon enough they made their way to the edge of the woods and stopped. Caspian watched as the king and queens stared at the hill in the on the other end of the field before them. It was almost an oddity in the middle of the flat landscape. After a moment the group continued across the fields towards it. When they arrived, they could see multiple centaurs lined up along the path that led into the hill in a ceremonious fashion. As the royals approached, the centaurs unsheathed their swords and held them up as a sign of respect before holding them forward, making an archway for them to walk under. Aleisa beamed at the sight. She glanced over at Peter and saw the him straighten up proudly. They were both thrilled to see some form of normalcy for them. They were used to being treated with this kind of reverence. Without a second thought the Pevensies walked forward, with proud strides. Caspian held back for a moment, knowing that this was not his place. He followed behind the kings and queens. As they walked small smiles came across their faces. Aleisa glanced over to the side and smiled at a young centaur who held his sword out. With him being so young he couldn't quite hold it up high enough, so the one next to him helped to lift his arms as they passed by. They strode into the fortress with renewed attitudes. Even this little glimpse of their old Narnia was enough to lift their spirits.


	15. Chapter 15

Inside the fortress you could hear the pounding of metal as weapons were being gathered and forged. Narnians of all types were rushing around, getting things ready for the battle that was bound to come.

"It may not be what you are used to, but it is defensive." Caspian told Peter as he glanced around. Peter didn't say anything but gave him a subtle nod. Aleisa held in a sigh at the childish actions of her husband.

"You've done a remarkable job so far Caspian. Thank you." She told the boy sincerely. Caspian smiled down at her in thanks. At least someone was being nice to him.

"Peter." Susan called, getting their attention.

"You may want to see this." She told him before disappearing down one of the hallways. Peter and Aleisa glanced at each other and followed after her without question. The humans walked down the hallway, with Peter holding a torch in the front. They came to a small alcove. On the wall, were pictures of their reign and events from their time period. The Pevensies all looked around the room in curiosity and confusion. Aleisa walked over closer to Peter where she could see the way by the fire light.

"It's us." Lucy pointed out in confusion. The others were silent as they stared at the walls. Aleisa brushed her hand gently of the picture of her wedding day. As she did, she felt a hand latch onto hers. She looked over to see Peter looking at her with a knowing smile which she shared.

"What is this place?" Aleisa asked turning to Caspian. The others looked at him questioningly. They had no recollection of anything like this during their golden years. Caspian frowned as he observed their expressions.

"You don't know?" he said as more of a statement. None of them answered, but their expressions said it all. Caspian nodded in understanding and grabbed one of the torches that was handing on the wall. He started to walk down another hallway, and the others followed after him. Caspian led them into the very center of the hill. Aleisa squinted as she tried to see since their torches didn't do much to light of the large room. Caspian walked over to a trench and dipped his torch in, igniting the oil. The trench stretched out all around the room, giving them ample light. As the room lit up they watched as the intricate carvings and statues of Narnians and themselves become visible. They stared a moment as the light revealed a carving of Aslan between a set of stone pillars on the opposite wall. Once the whole room was lit they glanced around at all the stone pillars around them. Aleisa glanced at Susan and Lucy warily, they had been here before. She froze as she noticed what was placed in the very center of the room. Lucy stared at it with sad eyes as she walked up to the stone table. It was still split in half, like it was a long time ago when the girls watched the great lion die and rise again. She ran her hands along the surface with a sad smile. Where was Aslan now?

"He must know what he's doing." Lucy reasoned as she looked back at her siblings. Peter swallowed hard as he stared at the carving of Aslan in front of him. He thought back to what he had told Aleisa about proving himself. Maybe that's why the lion wasn't here now. This time he wasn't the helpless boy that was new to Narnia. He was a king, and should act accordingly. It was time to prove that he was worthy of the title.

"I think it's up to us now." He told them before walking away, back towards the surface. His siblings followed quietly behind, leaving Aleisa and Caspian. She thought back to Peter's hardened expression and glanced back at the carving. She knew that look. Peter meant well, but she feared that he was going to do something irrational. With a sigh she glanced over at Caspian with a worried expression. He shared a similar one. It seems that she wasn't the only one warry about what was to come.

...

Later that night everyone was gathered in the center of the How to discuss a strategy. Just a few hours ago a century had spotted a Telmarine soldier at the edge of the clearing. The enemy knew where they were so Peter wasted no time in setting up a meeting.

"It's only a matter of time. Miraz's men and war machines are on their way." Peter began as he paced around the room to make eye contact with everyone there.

"That means those same men aren't protecting his castle." He added on.

"What do you propose we do your majesty?" Reepicheep asked.

"We need to start…."

"We need to get ready for…" both Peter and Caspian began at the same time. Aleisa closed her eyes in frustration. Getting these two to work together was going to take some work. The two leaders immediately stopped and Peter whipped his head around to look at Caspian with a small glare, daring him to continue. Caspian looked back with an imploring look, hoping that he could convey his point, but Peter wasn't going to let up. So the prince let out a small sigh and looked away in submission. He glanced over at Aleisa who sent him an apologetic smile. It seems that she had been doing that a lot on Peter's behalf lately.

"Our only hope it to strike them before they strike us." Peter told them.

"That is crazy, no one has ever taken that castle." Caspian immediately countered.

"There's always a first time." Peter quipped almost sarcastically. Aleisa bit the inside of her lip. Now he was getting downright nasty, which wasn't like him at all. However, at the moment she decided to confront him in private instead of publicly. Let him blow off a little steam.

"We'll have the element of surprise." Trumpkin chimed in.

"We have the advantage here." Caspian pointed out. Susan stood up from her spot to stand by Caspian.

"If we dig in we can probably hold them off indefinitely." She added. Caspian glanced over in surprise that she was taking his side. Peter stared at her with a stoic expression but the betrayal was seen in his eyes. She was supposed to be on his side.

"I for one feel safer underground." Trufflehunter spoke out.

"Look I appreciate what you've done here. But this isn't a fortress, it's a tomb." Peter told Caspian as he took a step towards him.

"Yes, and if they're smart the Telmarines will just wait and starve us out." Edmund added from his spot behind Peter.

"We could collect nuts." A squirrel eagerly chimed in.

"Yes, and throw them at the Telmarines!" Reepicheep praised, his words dripping with sarcasm, before glaring down at the squirrel.

"Shut up." He scolded before looking back up at Peter.

"I think you know where I stand sire." He told the king. Peter glanced over at the Glenstorm, he head centaur.

"If I get your troops in, can you handle the guards?" Peter asked. Everyone looked up at the creature, he was one of the key leaders of their troops.

"Or die trying my liege." he gave Peter nod. Aleisa sighed, this plan was not going to end well, it was too rushed and Peter was taking on too much.

"That's what I'm worried about." Lucy commented quietly as she sat on the stone table.

"Sorry?" Peter asked in confusion, his expression a bit harsher than usual.

"Well we're acting like there's only two options. Dying here or dying there." She pointed out in a mature voice, undeterred by her brother's attitude.

"I don't think you've really been listening Lu." Peter told her dismissively.

"No, you're not listening. Or have you forgotten who really defeated the white witch Peter." Aliesa pointed out sternly in Lucy's defense. Peter's countenance immediately hardened.

"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough." He told her stiffly. They all watched as he made his way to the upper levels of the How.

...

A few hours later everyone was preparing their armor and weapons for the attack on the castle after nightfall. Aleisa adjusted her wrist guards as she walked through the hallways of the fortress looking for Peter. Her armored dress was a bit shorter than Susan's due to her having to move a lot more in using her swords, but the basic look was the same. A layer of lightweight chain mail with some leather guards on her chest. Eventually she made it to the room where he was prepping his armor. Edmund was also there, helping him with the back of it. Taking a breath, she knocked on a piece of wood near the entrance since there wasn't an actual door. Peter and Edmund both looked up at her. Without a word Edmund quietly made his way out of the room, partially glad that he was getting away from the tension. Aleisa smiled at him gratefully as he made his way past her before turning her attention to her husband. He was stubbornly turned away from her. She silently made her way over to him and started fastening the bits of leather that he was fiddling with on his arm.

"I'm surprised you're not yelling at me right now." Peter cautiously began as he watched her fasten on bits of his armor. He knew she was not happy with him and expected her to show up to let him have it. Right now he wasn't all that sure whether or not he preferred her screaming at him for being stupid or being painfully silent like she was now.

"I'm not going to yell at you. Nor will I apologize for what I said." She calmly told him. After she finished with his armor she looked up at him knowingly. He needed to hear what she had to say before he got to egotistical about himself. Peter nodded in understanding.

"So who's side are you taking with all of this?" he asked. Peter wouldn't admit it but he was nervous whenever she and Caspian interacted. With the whole dream thing he was worried that she'd side with him instead of her own husband. After all he was still the one that left first and was insecure about how she felt about him.

"I'm not taking anyone's side. Frankly I think you both are wrong." She answered honestly. Peter furrowed his brows and started to say something but she cut him off.

"I think you need to listen to Caspian instead of brushing him aside. He's been here more recently and knows that castle better that we do. And I think he needs to have a more offensive outlook on situations instead of dwelling on what we can't do." She explained. Peter thought for a moment. She had a point.

"And there's no way I can convince you to stay behind on this raid?" He asked, eyeing her outfit and already knowing the answer. Aleisa grinned up at him in amusement.

"Of course not, that would be a stupid. You are my husband and even if I don't totally agree with your actions I will still support you." She told him confidently. Peter beamed down at her with nothing but adoration in his eyes. How did he get so lucky in having someone like her? Without another word Peter leaned down to kiss her firmly on the lips, which Aleisa eagerly returned. Once they pulled away the two smiled at each other again.

"We had better by off my Queen." Peter told her and dramatically held out his arm to her. Aleisa giggled. It was amusing to see his demeanor change so dramatically.

"Very well my King." She joked as she took his arm and wrapped both of her own around it. Peter chuckled and shook his head fondly before leading her out of the room.


	16. Chapter 16

That night a griffon flew silently through the dark skies as he carried King Edmund over the Telmarine castle. The griffon landed on top of one of the tower roofs, just above where an unsuspecting guard was patrolling. They waited until the guard had turned his back and then a pair of claws reached down to yank him up and in one fluid motion Edmund dropped down to take the guard's place on the tower. He quietly walked over to the edge and looked down at the courtyards below. Nothing was stirring so they were in the clear. Reaching down to his belt he pulled out his torch and flicked it on and off as a signal. At this the rest of the royals flew in with their griffons towards the castle. With them was a few select Narnians such as Nickabrik and Trumpkin. Back in the woods the rest of the Narnian army was waiting for their signal to charge.

Once the royals were directly over the castle they dove down. While they flew close, the royals unlatched themselves so they could take out some of the guards with one hand as they flew over. Aleisa hung by one hand as she and Caspian sliced down the remaining guards with their swords. As they reached their destination Susan spotted a couple soldiers heading in Edmund's direction. She quickly shot one down with her arrows while Peter was dropped down to finish off the other. Caspian and Aleisa dropped down behind them. Once the royals were safely on the walkway, the griffons flew off to rejoin the rest of the army. Down below them was a small balcony where Caspian's professor lived. He had told them that this was one of the safest places they could enter since the professor was on their side. He lowered down a rope for them to climb down. Caspian went first and quietly knocked on the windows.

"Professor?" he whispered out. Peter climbed down after him and waited for the girls to make their way down. He waited for Aleisa to reach him before grasping her waist and gently lowering her down. She smiled up at him in thanks. Once all of them were safely on the ledge Caspian quickly unlatched the windows and gestured for them to follow. He and Peter quickly stepped inside the seemingly empty room. Caspian quickly made his way across the floor, confused as to why no one was there. Peter watched him and followed slowly. The prince spotted a pair of busted spectacles on one of the desks. He knew something had happened, his professor didn't go anywhere without them.

"We have to find him." He urgently told the royals and Trumpkin, who had also joined them.

"We don't have time we need to get the gate open." Peter protested.

"You wouldn't even be here without him. And neither would I." he countered heatedly. Aleisa frowned at Caspian's distraught expression, it was obvious that the man meant a great deal to him. Peter sighed and looked back at Susan for help.

"You and I can deal with Miraz." She told him.

"Caspian and I can still get to the gate in time." Aliesa assured. Caspian glanced over at her with a smile, glad he was able to look for his mentor. Peter frowned at her willingness to go with him. Without another word Caspian took off to find him, Trumpkin following after. Aliesa turned to join them but Peter quickly grabbed her bicep.

"Wait, just come with us." He protested, with worry in his eyes. He always felt safer when he could personally keep an eye on her. Aleisa smiled comfortingly up at him.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." she promised and leaned up to kiss him firmly on the lips. Peter sighed and reluctantly released her, watching as she raced off after the other two.

...

Trumpkin and Aleisa walked into one of the main security rooms after Reepicheep had opened the doors. They had left Caspian to go down to the dungeons so they could get more work done. Caspian was supposed to meet them but hadn't showed up yet.

"Oh well we were expecting someone taller." Reepicheep pointed out in slight disappointment when he say the dwarf.

"You're one to talk." Trumpkin retorted dryly. Aleisa snickered.

"Was that supposed to be irony?" Reepicheep gasped. Trumpkin rolled his eyes and turned to her. She was glancing back and forth down the hallways with a nervous expression.

"It shouldn't be taking him this long. I'm going to go look for him." she told the two. Trumpkin grimaced, but sighed when he saw her determined look. This wasn't up for debate. He sighed heavily.

"Fine, but if anything happens to ya just remember it's your own fault." He scolded, trying to appear indifferent. Aliesa smirked at him and took off down the hallways. He truly was a softie on the inside.

...

Peter and Susan quickly made their way towards Miraz's chambers. However, on the way they ran into Aleisa, who was looking nervous.

"Aleisa what are doing here? Why aren't you at the gatehouse with Caspian?" Peter quickly asked, glancing over her for any injuries. She let out a huff of frustration.

"He didn't show up; I think something is wrong. We need to find him quickly." She answered. Peter groaned in agitation. First he left his wife to fend for herself, and then he's gone missing. This was not turning out like he planned at all.

"Let's find Miraz first and then we can sort all of this out." Susan suggested. The couple nodded in agreement and the three took off.

...

Miraz woke abruptly to the feel of cold, sharp metal against his throat. He chuckled in amusement at who it was.

"Thank goodness your safe." He taunted.

"Get up." Caspian spat at him. Miraz did as he was told and purposely woke up his wife in the process.

"Caspian?" she asked in confusion.

"Stay where you are." He warned, without removing his sword from his uncle's neck.

"What are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"I should think its obvious dear." Miraz told her dryly. After all there was a sword at his neck.

"You know some families might consider this inappropriate behavior." Miraz teased nonchalantly as Caspian held the sword at this throat.

"That doesn't seem to have stopped you." The prince spat and pushed the weapon closer.

"You're not like me are you? It's sad." His uncle taunted even more, making Caspian falter for a second.

"This is the first time you show any backbone and it's such a waste." He continued. The two heard a click and glanced over at lady Prunaprisma, who was now aiming a crossbow at Caspian.

"Put the sword down Caspian." She warned. He didn't falter.

"I don't want to do this." She told him. Suddenly the door busted open.

"We don't want you to either." Aleisa announced as she and Peter barged into the room. Susan had her own bow trained on the queen while Peter held his sword up in defense between both of them just in case. Aleisa walked over to Caspians other side, wielding her swords in both hands. Miraz rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips, despite the tense situation.

"This used to be a private room." He complained.

"Tough" Aleisa growled out.

"What are you doing? You're supposed to be in the gatehouse." Peter asked Caspian irritably.

"NO! Tonight for once I want the truth." He protested with a broken voice.

"Did you kill my father?" Caspian asked as he pushed Miraz against the wall with his sword. The two glared at each other.

"Now we get to it." Miraz muttered. Aleisa closed her eyes in exasperation. This would not end well, Caspian was emotionally compromised now.

"You said your brother died in his sleep." His wife pointed out in confusion.

"That was more or less true." Miraz admitted.

"Caspian this wont make things any better." Aleisa told him as the tension in the room continued. Caspian glanced over at her, conflict clear in his dark eyes.

"We Telmarines would have nothing if we hadn't had taken it." Miraz continued, determined to keep Caspian's attention so the girl wouldn't persuade him otherwise.

"Your father knew that as well as anyone." He told the boy. At the mention of his father Caspian hardened his glare.

"How could you?" Prunaprisma asked, lowering her crossbow.

"For the same reason you would pull the trigger. For our son." He told her and took a step closer to Caspian.

"Stop." She ordered Caspian, taking up her crossbow again. Miraz continued to walk towards him, who was backing up with his movements. However the sword never strayed from his neck.

"Stay right there." Susan threatened the woman. Everyone stood tensely, pointing weapons in different directions as they waited for someone to break first.

"You need to make a choice dear. Do you want our child to be king or be like Caspian here…..fatherless!" he shouted evilly. This set his wife off. With a shout she pulled the trigger and shot a bolt into Caspian's arm. He pulled back in pain and crashed into Aleisa, giving Miraz the time to run out of the room.

"No!" Aleisa shouted as the man ran off. Knowing he was gone she quickly turned to the boy in her arms and set him down. In one motion she ripped out the bolt held her hand to the bleeding wound. She used her sword to cut off a strip of the curtain and tied his wound off. Once done she looked up and shot Caspian a stern look. He had messed up and now their plan was useless.


	17. Chapter 17

Outside Edmund was flipping his torch in boredom when it suddenly slipped out of his fingers. With wide eyes he watched it tumble down to the balcony below. Hearing the clatter, a soldier stepped out and started walking around. Edmund quietly sped down the stairway and looked down from a window to see the man picking it up. He looked at it curiously before flipping the switch and practically blinding himself with it. Just then the sounds of warning bells rung throughout the castle. Seeing his opportunity Edmund leapt down onto the soldier, knocking the flashlight out of his hands and beginning a fight.

...

All throughout the castle the guards were arming themselves, preparing for the attack. Caspian led the way as the royals sped through the castle, heading towards the courtyard. However, Peter continued on a different direction, making the rest of them stop.

"Peter?" Susan called in confusion.

"Are troops are just outside, come on!" he urged and continued running in the opposite direction. Susan and Aleisa glanced at each other before following after him. Peter made his way down to the courtyard and began running across it, pulling out his sword as he spotted an oncoming soldier.

"Now Ed now!" Peter shouted as he charged forwards.

"I'm a bit busy Pete!" Edmund countered as he grunted with effort, fighting off his own soldier. Edmund swiped the sword that had him pinned and head-butted the man, making him back away in pain. Edmund began dueling while another enemy joined the fight. Down below Peter had taken down two more guards before continuing forward towards the gate, the other three not far behind him. Edmund's sword was knocked out of his hand and he quickly ducked out of the way. He grabbed his forgotten torch and swung it harshly into the man's jaw before striking him in the temple, knocking him out cold. However, in doing this, the light had been damaged and turned off. Edmund groaned.

...

Peter finally made it to the gate and began pushing on the wheel to lift it. Aleisa caught up to him first, followed by Susan and Caspian.

"Peter, it's too late we have to call it off while we can." Aleisa urged watching him struggle with the wheel.

"No, we can still do this." He protested and groaned in effort as he continued trying to lift the gate himself. Aleisa sighed in aggravation as she harshly sheathed her swords before helping her husband. Caspian and Susan glanced back to see the light of torches as the guards started piling out of the hallways. They didn't have time.

"Help me." Peter called. Susan pursed her lip in irritation and went over to join him, Caspian following.

"Exactly who are you doing this for Peter?" Susan asked, looked at him with a harsh glare. Peter shot her a desperate look but didn't say anything. He didn't quite know at the moment. But he had to do this, he had to prove he could lead successfully and Caspian's blunder wasn't going to change anything. He could do this himself.

...

Above them Edmund frantically beat on his torch to get it to turn back on as the guards began filling the courtyard. As if by some miracle it came on and he quickly began flickering it to signal the Narnian troops. A loud charge by Glenstorm could be heard as he led the army towards the castle.

...

The other four continued pulling up the gate, grunting with effort and glancing back worriedly as the guards came closer. Making sure they were fine with three, Aleisa let go and turned towards the army, unsheathing her swords in preparation. Peter's eyes widened in alarm.

"Aleisa what are you doing?!" he asked frantically, not daring to let go of the wheel.

"I have your back; you just focus on getting the gate open." She assured him, not looking away from the oncoming army. After what seemed like an eternity the Narnians came crashing through the iron gate and ran under the other that they had opened. Once it was secured Peter let go and stood beside Aleisa.

"For Narnia!" he shouted as he unsheathed his sword. Caspian unsheathed his while Susan loaded her bow. The four of them joined the charge alongside their troops. Peter ran and slashed down any that faced him as he fought alongside a minotaur who was charging through. Caspian in turn did the same, with Aleisa at his back, deflecting with her gauntlets and spinning her twin swords menacingly. Susan charged through shooting arrow and stabbing others when they were close enough.

As the battle raged on Aleisa became separated from Caspian and made her way towards Peter. She charged through the throngs of guards, slicing down all of them viciously. As she bested another one, her ears caught a shout.

"Archers!" a cry could be heard. Aleisa paused and glanced up to see soldiers lining up all around the courtyard balconies armed with crossbows.

...

Up above Edmund saw one that was aiming for his brother and without a second thought he slid down the roof and knocked the man off. When the man fell the arrow was loosed and Aleisa stepped in front of Peter to deflect it with her armguards. The noise alerted Peter and his eyes darted around for the source.

"Ed!" he shouted in alarm. Edmund looked to his left and saw the line of armed soldiers staring at him. He had forgotten out the rest of them. In an instant Edmund dove for the door and ducked as crossbows rained down around him. He quickly shut the door with his foot before taking off again.

...

In a balcony above Miraz gazed down at the battle raging on below him. After slashing down another enemy Peter looked up and caught his eye. With a growl he darted off in that direction, leaving Aleisa to cover his back. Caspian took down another opponent and looked up to see Peter crashing his way up an outer stairway. With his eyes he followed the path upward and saw the end goal. Peter froze for a moment as a minotaur who had reached the balcony crashed down below. Aleisa glanced up at the noise and had to leap out of the way of the falling body. She stared at it with wide eyes before leaping back up to defend an attack. Snapping out of his stupor Peter swiftly took down the man he had been fighting before continuing up.

...

In the middle of the battle a familiar dwarf came crashing down on top of an enemy soldier. A minotaur looked up to see the guards hacking away at a metal weight that was holding the gate up. With one more swing it came crashing down and the Narnian ran to hold it up. Aleisa and Peter glanced around at their losing battle, a decision had to be made. Peter glanced over at her and she merely nodded in agreement.

"Fall back!" Peter bellowed and started to descend down the stairs. They weren't going to win, that much was now obvious.

"We need to retreat now!" he called again and slashed away at guards who came up to him. As the couple made their way across the battlefield they continued shouting the order to their troops, hoping to save as many as they could.

"Get her out of here!" Peter ordered a centaur, pointing towards Susan. If Aleisa was with him, he would keep her save so there was no point in trying to get her to leave. Aleisa would just refuse.

"Head for the gates!" She called again as they dashed across the yard. Susan heard the command and grabbed the centaur's arm as he galloped past. She was swung up on his back and headed for the gate.

"Caspian!" Susan called.

"I'll find him!" Aleisa called back as she watched her fade away. Peter immediately took off after her.

"Go, Get out retreat!" Peter continued calling as he followed closely behind his wife, determined to keep her in his sights. Peter wasn't going to take any chanced with her. She was stopped in the center by some enemies was held up in combat. Peter swiftly blocked an attack from her blindside. From another door Caspian came riding out with his professor another horse at his side. Peter slashed down the last enemy and looked up to see Caspian stop next to him, but stared up at the balcony that held his uncle. There was nothing they could do now.

"Retreat!" Peter called as the horsed spurred on again and he lept up into the saddle. Aleisa was hauled up by a centaur and rode on closely behind the two boys.

"Now!" they heard Miraz command. In an instant arrows began raining down on the Narnians and at the Minataur that was holding the gate. Aliesa's steed stumbled as a body fell in front of him but stayed upright. Caspian and Peter sped through the barely open gate just before it crashed, crushing the Minataur under it. On the other side, many of the Narnians were still trapped and at the arrow's mercy. Including Aleisa who was only a few steps to late. Peter stopped as he looked back at the pleading Narnians who had no hope. In alarm he recognized the only human who was among them. In an instant he desperately flung himself off the horse and sprinted towards the gate.

"Aleisa!" he pleaded frantically as he glanced around for anything to pry open the gate. She just watched him with teary eyes as he desperately tried to lift it. They both knew it was useless but he didn't care. He couldn't lose for real this time.

"Peter…..Peter!" she called and knelt down next to him as he cried out in frustration and anguish. Hearing her voice, he stopped and held back a sob. She reached through the gate and held his hand calmly.

"You need to get out of here." Aleisa told him urgently but Peter shook his head.

"No, I can't….I won't leave you." He choked out as the tears started to spill. She caressed his face and looked at him with a sad smile.

"Please for me?" she asked him in a torn whisper. Peter swallowed thickly. Aliesa maneuvered her hand to the back of his head and pulled him in for a kiss. Peter leaned in as much as he possibly could through the gate, craving for more of her. She kissed him deeply and desperately, clinging onto him as if it was the last time. They pulled apart quicker than either would have liked and stared for a few more moments, the cries of the battle being drowned out behind her.

"I love you." She told him sincerely, wanting to make sure he knew just in case. Peter chocked out another sob.

"I love you too." He told her thickly. Aleisa dropped her hand and took a step back, knowing that he had to go if he wanted to be safe. Peter watched her desperately. She nodded at him wordlessly. He had to go, it was her wish and Peter didn't want to break it. With his heart in agonizing pain he remounted his horse but still didn't leave. He couldn't. He fidgeted and looked up at Susan with a heartbroken expression. Susan held back her own tears while beneath her Glenstorm watched as his sons were left behind. The father nodded to them. Peter glanced back to see their brave responsive nod before they turned and went back into battle, to die a hero's death. Aleisa smiled sorrowfully at her husband before turning to join them. If there was any change of her getting back to him she was going to take it, and if she was going to die then she was taking as many as she could with her. Peter's lip quivered as he felt so helpless.

"Peter the bridge!" Caspian called. The drawbridge was starting to be raised, which would leave him inside too. With a hard swallow Peter spurred on his horse and galloped across it, having to leap over the last bit. Without looking back the survivors headed back towards the safety of the forest and their own camp.


	18. Chapter 18

Edmund flew over the courtyard on the back of his griffon. Instead of the sounds of battle all was silent and everything still. The ground was littered with the bodies of Telmarines and Narinians alike. He swooped down to follow after Peter who was in the back of the army as they headed back home. Edmund was slightly alarmed by the utter pain that was across his brother's face. Glancing around he figured out why. Aleisa was not with them and he didn't remember seeing any movement on the castle grounds. With silent and heavy hearts they headed back to the How.

...

Aleisa's heart hammered in her chest, turning to face the enemy head on. Now that Peter was safely out of the city she could focus on getting herself back to him. With the young centaur beside her she charged into the fight, deflecting the rain of arrows as she went. Aleisa became a whirlwind of fury as she tore into the multiple soldiers that came her way, slicing down each and every one. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a hidden alleyway.

"Go, we'll make sure they don't follow you." Her centaur companion spoke up in huffs beside her. Aleisa turned to protest, but the determined look in his eyes stopped her. With a silent nod she darted off towards the exit, praying that it would lead to her escape.

...

Lucy ran out to meet the returning warriors. She stopped in the walkway, starting sadly at the amount that had returned and identifying those that hadn't. The number much lower than what they had left with. Everyone was silent around the How. The army still having the free memories of the failed battle and the others who had stayed behind were anxiously scanning for their friends and loved ones. Peter and Caspian led the way on foot, staring straight ahead with weary expressions. Both of them were struggling with inner turmoils, family betrayal and loss along with the weight of causing a failed battle. Lucy scanned over her siblings warily, listing them all off…..all except for one. Peter's watery gaze looked up at his youngest sister.

"What happened?" she asked sympathetically, knowing that he must have been shattering inside. Peter swallowed but covered it up with a hate filled glare.

"Ask him." he spat, glancing over at Caspian.

"Peter" Susan scolded from behind them.

"Me?" Caspian asked incredulously as they slowed their walk.

"You could have called it off, there was still time." Caspian told him lowly. Peter stopped to turn on him.

"No there wasn't thanks to you. If you'd kept to the plan those soldiers might be alive right now." Peter pointedly told him, struggling to keep his voice steady. There was a whole lot about Caspian not watching Aleisa like he should have that he wanted to spout off, but now was not the time.

"If you'd just stayed here like I suggested, they definitely would be!" Caspian countered, not letting Peter dismiss him this time. Peter scoffed.

"You called us remember." Caspian stared at him icily.

"My first mistake." He answered.

"No, you're first mistake was thinking you could lead these people." Peter haughtily countered and turned to walk away.

"Hey!" Caspian shouted, getting his attention. Peter stared at the prince, daring him to continue. During their rising emotions, they failed to spot the familiar figure making her way towards them.

"I am not the one who abandoned Narnia." Caspian spat. That hit a nerve.

"You invaded Narnia…" Peter pointed accusingly at him, his jaw clenching in barely contained rage.

"You have no more right to be here than Miraz does!" he added. Caspian growled and shoved his way past Peter. But peter wasn't done with him.

"You, him, your father!" Peter shouted after him. Caspian froze, his back still towards him.

"Narnia's better off without the lot of you." Peter finished, his voice thick with multiple emotions. Their anger reaching its peak Caspian wheeled on Peter, drawing his sword with a loud battle cry. Peter eagerly met the blade with his own.

"Stop it!" a new voice shouted. The two glanced back in shock, swords still crossed. A tired and battered Aleisa made her way through the crowd, her eye blazing as she glared at the two in front of her.

"Aleisa…" Peter gasped out, his arm dropping in shock. He swallowed thickly and tried to approach her but she held a hand up, ignoring his expression of hurt.

"You two are acting like children! We have just lost half our army and all you two care about is who gets to say 'I told you so'?! Both of you are in a position of leadership and have equal right to be here. Now start acting like it!" She scolded, her eyes boring into each of them fiercely. The area was filled with silence for a while until the sound of hooves broke it. Their expressions fell when they spotted the limp body of Trumpkin in the arms of a centaur. Edmund reached over to help lie him down as Lucy rushed forward with her healing cordial. Aleisa spared the two a glance before walking over to join them. Peter was ashamed, knowing that he let his own problems come before everyone else. As much as he wanted to hold onto Aleisa and revel in the fact that she was alive, he knew that wasn't an option right now. She was right and was disappointed in him. As Lucy tended to the dwarf Peter watched Caspian stomp his way back towards the How, Nickabrik hot on his heels. His eyes wandered over to a silently sobbing centaur, her husband had been one of the many lost in battle. Peter's throat constricted once more, remembering that all those who had died had families too. He could almost sympathize with her, but at least his loved one came back. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden gasp. Trumpkin gasped for air and blearily opened his eyes.

"What are you all staring for? The Telmarines will be here soon enough." he grunted, not enjoying having all eyes on him. Aleisa smiled fondly at him before standing up. He was fine.

"Thank you…my dear little friend." Trumpkin told Lucy, not meeting her gaze. Her smiled broadened and she let him be. The two girls made their way into the fortress and Peter sheathed his own weapon before following after them sullenly. He had a lot of work ahead of him to try and fix the mess he had made.


	19. Chapter 19

Down below Caspian stared at the carvings of the kings and queens, deep in thought and doubt. The mission had failed and Peter had blamed it all on him. Aleisa was making her way down to find him and apologize on Peter's behalf. He was still cooling off so she figured the calmer of the two, Caspian, would be easier to console. As she started to round the stairs she froze when she heard another voice speak up.

"Are you so glad for that magic horn now boy?" a gruff voice broke through the silence, dripping with sarcasm. Caspian glanced over to see Nickabrik leaning against a wall. Aleisa peered around the corner suspiciously, being sure to stay hidden. She never did trust the dwarf and something in his voice seemed sinister. Unaware of the girl's presence and seeing that he had the prince's attention, he continued.

"The kings and queens have failed us. Your army is half dead; those that aren't will be soon enough." He told Caspian, walking closer.

"What do you want. Congratulations?" Caspian asked bitterly.

"You want your uncle's blood, so do we. You want his throne; we can get it for you." Nickabrik continued as Caspian listened curiously. Knowing he had the prince, Nickabrik smiled deviously and started walking deeper into the how. Curiosity getting the best of him, Caspian glanced around nervously before following after him down to where the stone table lay. Aleisa took a step to follow them but thought better of it and ran back to find help. This was not going to end well.

"You've tried one ancient power, it failed. But there is one greater still, one that kept even Aslan at bay for 100 years." Nickabrik told him. in the silence that followed Caspian could hear the harsh sound of wind. However, as the sound grew, it turned into more of an animalistic snarl. Caspian drew his sword and flitted his eyes warily to look for the source. He took a few steps down to stand next to the broken table.

"Who's there?" he called out quietly. A hooded figure emerged from the shadows at one end of the room.

"I am hunger. I am thirst." A low growl answered. Caspian's eyes widened as a large furry snout poked out of the hood.

"I can fast for 100 years and not die." The werewolf rasped, inching closer. The prince held out his sword warningly towards the figure, and glanced over to see another emerging from his other side.

"I can lie 100 nights on the ice, and not freeze." The wolf continued. Caspian remained frozen as he stared at the other cloaked figure, its face a beaked hag.

"I can drink a river of blood and not burst." Caspian glanced back at Nickabrik, who nodded with a smug grin.

"Show me your enemies!" the wolf shouted, taking off its hood. Caspian stiffened.

"What you hate, so will we. No one hates better than us." The hag chimed in, revealing a head of greasy green hair. Caspain lowered his sword as he absorbed what the two had said.

"And you can…..guarantee Miraz's death?" he asked them slowly.

"And more." The hag assured. Caspian eyed them warily but sheathed his sword. His gaze flitted nervously between the two as a ritual was performed, the hag chanting in an ancient language while the wolf drew a circle around him with his claw. As the circle finished, the hag withdrew an icy wand from her cloak. With one final cry she turned and plunged the wand into the stairs. Immediately ice began to flow from the wand, and traveled up a set of pillars to create an icy wall between them. Caspian remained rooted in the circle, watching intently as the ice slowly formed and revealed a figure inside. His eyes widened in realization as he finally saw the white witch standing before him.

"Wait, this isn't what I wanted." He shakily protested, starting to back out of the circle. Before he could, the wolf grabbed him and held out his hand.

"Just one drop of Adam's blood and you free me." The melodious voice of the trapped witch instructed.

"Then I am yours my king." She assured with a sickly sweet smile. Caspian struggled as he was held fast while the hag sliced a knife down his palm. Caspian grunted in pain, but couldn't move. The white witch smiled as she reached out a hand through the ice, towards the prince. Caspian could feel a chill run over his body, followed by a sense of calm. He stopped struggling and took a step forward, his eyes glazing over dreamily.

...

"Stop!" a voice shouted from the entrance. Peter, Aleisa, Edmund, and Trumpkin rushed into the room with their swords at the ready. Caspian didn't hear them as he was still stuck under the Witch's spell. The wolf and hag ran over to intercept them before they reached Caspian. Edmund flipped the wolf off of him and turned to duel the creature. Trumpkin and Nickabrik lunged into a battle, their daggers clashing against each other while Aleisa rushed the hag. She swung but had her armed pinned against the stone table, knocking it out of her grip. Aleisa cried out in pain as the hag put more weight on her pinned arm and twisted the other, aiming her own sword at her throat.

Edmund grunted in pain as the wolf lunged for his midsection, flipping him over harshly. On the way down, Edmund managed to slice its leg, causing a pained howl to escape its lips.

Nickabrik knocked the dagger away from Trumpkin and raised his own above his head. Before he could deliver the blow Lucy ran in and held a dagger at his neck. Nickabrik swiftly disarmed her and switched their positions, holding her arm up painfully behind her.

Peter barreled in to help Aleisa and launched the hag away from, knocking her harshly against the stone pillars. He swiftly leant down to check on Aleisa who was cradling her tender wrist.

"Peter, get Caspain." She urged. Peter looked up in alarm to see Caspian still caught in the trance.

Edmund scrambled up and ran for a nearby ledge, the wolf following. As he lept up, he turned and sliced his sword down the creature's head killing it.

Nickabrik lunged for Lucy but froze and fell limp on the floor, revealing Trumpkin standing behind him with a bloodied knife.

Seeing that she was losing the witch impatiently shook her hand.

"Come on." She urged the dazed boy in a panic. As Caspian reached for her, he was harshly knocked aside by Peter. Peter glared up at the evil woman, his sword poised in front of him.

"Get away from him." he roared. The witch straightened as she gazed down at him, her expression morphing into a calm façade.

"Peter dear, I've missed you." She cooed and reached for him. His expression began to waver.

"Come, just one drop." She urged. Peter again shook his head, trying to free himself of the haze that was entering his mind.

"You know you can't do this alone. And she's beginning to doubt you." She told him. this got Peter's attention and he began to lower his sword. It pained him to think that his own wife didn't have any faith in him. Aleisa had been ignoring him ever since they got back. Suddenly a slicing sound pierced the air and the witch looked down to see the end of a sword in her middle. Peter's brow furrowed as he watched the ice begin to crack all around. In an instant the wall shattered. Peter and Caspian ducked as the chunks of ice rained down on them. Edmund stood, his sword hovering in midair. Peter was taken out of his trance and looked around in shock, realizing what he had almost done.

"I know, you had it sorted." Edmund spat tiredly before walking away, his expression filled with disappointment in his brother. Peter breathed heavily as he glanced around to see all the damage that had been done. Lucy getting helped up by Trumpkin, Caspian dusting himself off, Susan shaking her head, and finally Aleisa was staring at him in mild shock. Peter swallowed thickly and remained seated as the others quietly filed out. How could he have done that?! A gentle hand on his shoulder took him out of his heavy thoughts. Looking up slowly he locked eyes with Aleisa, her gaze empathetic.

"Did you really believe that?" she asked him softly, hurt lacing her voice. Peter frowned.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"That I was beginning to doubt you?" she clarified, watching his expression carefully. Peter sighed and looked away from her in shame.

"Oh Peter, I would never doubt you." She breathed out cupping his face in her other hand.

"I wouldn't blame you if you did. I doubt me. I've messed up so much in such a short amount of time." He confessed, trying to keep his voice in check. Aleisa smiled sadly at him and quickly wrapped him in a hug, his head resting in the crook of her neck.

"We all make mistakes, Peter. But you can't dwell on them, that's when you are truly defeated." She comforted, brushing her fingers through his hair. Peter closed his eyes and sighed heavily. In that moment she was all he needed, and knowing he had been forgiving lifted his spirits a bit. The couple sat there in the silence of the room. Aleisa turned her gaze toward the carving of the great lion. If there ever was a time they needed him it was now.


	20. Chapter 20

Outside Caspian was sitting quietly on a ledge, overlooking the vast field in front of him. He stared hard at the small patch of stone floor with a couple columns surrounding it that was practically in the middle of the field. After the whole ordeal with the White Witch he was shaken up and confused as to what the point of all of this was. Everything he had known had come crashing down around him over the past week and the emotions threatened to engulf him as he processed it all. Caspian didn't stir as the professor slowly walked over to sit down next to him. They sat in silence for a moment.

"Why did you never tell me about my father?" Caspian asked as he continued staring ahead of him.

"My mother was a black dwarf from the northern mountains." The professor began, deterring from answering the question at the moment. Caspian looked over at him in interest, never having heard this before.

"I've risked my life all these years so that one day, you might be a better king than those before you." He explained gently. Caspian nodded his head and turned back to the field processing this new information.

"And I have failed you." Caspian muttered, looking down at his lap. This older man that he had looked up to put his life on the line all because he believed in him and Caspian hadn't been doing a very good job at following through.

"Everything I told you, everything I didn't…..it was only because I believe in you." The professor contradicted. Caspian looked over at him, his face betraying how lost he truly felt in the moment.

"You have the chance to become the most noble contradiction in history. The Telmarine that saved Narnia." He told him sincerely. Caspian again turned his head away, but this time with a much lighter expression. Maybe there was some way he could turn this all around after all. Leaving him to his new thoughts, the professor left but was soon replaced by a smaller figure. Caspian glanced over and a look of slight shock broke across his face as he saw Aleisa sitting there.

"He's right you know." She told him, staring out across the field just as he had been a moment ago. Caspian glanced over her face in confusion.

"How long had you been listening?" he asked tentatively. Aleisa shrugged.

"Long enough. You've been through a lot over the past few days. How you feel is completely normal." She told him sincerely. He didn't respond, just stayed silent.

"And despite that, I can see what the professor sees in you. Caspian you have great potential in you, you just need to embrace it." She continued, looking up at him with a serious expression. Caspian locked eyes with her and found no trace of lies.

"How could you believe that after everything I have done. You wouldn't have even been stuck in that castle if it weren't for me. " he asked her, his eyes practically pleading for guidance. She smiled sofltly at him.

"Caspian, I have seen a great deal of kings in my time. I can honestly say that you have the makings to be a great one." She assured with a smirk as she hinted to her age. He chuckled a little, instantly comforted by her words. As the two fell into silence again, Aleisa's posture stiffened.

"What is that?" she asked pointing out across the field. Caspian squinted as he struggled to see, but once it hit the edge of the field they both knew.

"We need to tell the others." He insisted as they both rose hastily to their feet. The two of them quickly dashed into the How to grab their weapons and warn the others. War was soon coming.

...

Down in the lower chamber of the How, Peter sat staring up at the carving of Aslan as he leaned his back against the stone table. Aleisa had left little while ago to leave him to his thoughts. Lucy came down and quietly sat beside her brother. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"You're lucky you know." He began. Lucy looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" she prodded.

"To have seen him." he elaborated wistfully. The two looked up at the carving.

"I wish he'd just give me some sort of proof." Peter confessed.

"Maybe we're the ones that need to prove ourselves to him." Lucy suggested wisely. She reached over and patted his arm soothingly. Edmund marched his way over towards them, breaking the silence.

"Pete." He called out quietly. Peter looked back at his brother.

"You'd better come quickly." He told him. The siblings quickly got up to follow.

Up on the ledge, Caspian was now clothed in his regular attire, sword strapped to his belt as he stared out across the field before him. Aleisa stood at his side, dawning her own twin blades across her back. Peter, Edmund, and Lucy rushed over to join him and see what the fuss was about. Other Narnian's had gathered on the ground to stare out across the field where the growing Telmarine army was standing.

The silver clad army marched further in to the field, pulling large catapults behind them. From the middle of the army a long line of cavalrymen emerged and fanned out in the front. Peter and Caspian glanced at each other nervously. Finally, a golden armored figure emerged to the very front, lord Miraz. The Telmarines were now bringing the battle to them. They needed a plan.

...

"Cakes and kettledrums…..that's your next big plan?" Trumpkin asked warily, glancing around at everyone in the room. They were in a separate room with a large center table that they used for battle planning. Peter and Aleisa shared a hesitant look. They figured that this wouldn't go over well, but what choice did they have?

"Sending a little girl into the darkest parts of the forest alone?" he continued, pointing over at Lucy for effect. Peter continued to stand his ground, staring at the dwarf wearily.

"It's our only chance." He explained.

"And she won't be alone." Susan assured from beside her sister. Trumpkin walked over to lucy with a distraught expression.

"Haven't enough of us died already?" he asked, obviously upset at the thought of her going alone. Aleisa sighed she didn't want her in harms way either so she understood his hesitation.

"Nickabrik was my friend too, but he lost hope. Queen Lucy hasn't and neither have I." Trufflehunter told his friend from his other side, Edmund on the step behind him. The drawing of a small sword caught everyone's attention.

"For Aslan." Reepicheep pledged, laying the sword across his shoulder.

"For Alsan." A bear stood up. Peter gave them a thankful look before turning back towards Trumpkin. The dwarf sighed and looked at Lucy.

"Then I'm going with you." He insisted.

"No, we need you here." Lucy countered, setting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We have to hold them off until Lucy and Susan get back." Aleisa added.

"If I may." Caspian began timidly. He glanced at his professor by his side before standing up.

"Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer…" he began walking toward the table. Peter watched him with interest. Aleisa glanced between the two, smiling that the competition between them seemed to be gone.

"But as a king he is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people." Caspian explained, a small smile coming across his face as a plan began to form. He squared off with Peter.

"There is one in particular that may buy us some time." He told them. Aleisa and Peter glanced at each other.

"So what do you propose?" Aleisa asked with interest. Caspian smiled.


	21. Chapter 21

From the Telmarine army Lord Miraz spotted a giant, a centaur, and a couple of dark haired teenagers headed across the field toward their camp.

"Perhaps they've come to surrender." General Glozelle suggested.

"No…..they are much to noble for that." Miraz admitted before heading back to prepare of the royal's arrival. Once they reached the camp Edmund and Aleisa walked into the tent where the council was while the other two waited outside. The two fell back into old habits and stood before the enemy group with a regal bearing, subtly flaunting their power. The Telmarines shifted in their seat nervously, making the two of them hold back a smirk. Edmund opened up the scroll that he had brought and began to read the letter that Peter had drafted a while earlier.

"I Peter, by the gift of Aslan, by election and by conquest, High king of Narnia, Lord of Cair Paravail, Emperor of the Lone Islands, in order to prevent the abominable spilling of blood do hereby challenge the usurper Miraz to single combat upon the field of battle. The fight shall be to the death; the reward shall be total surrender." Edmund finished, rolling the scroll back up.

"Tell me Prince Edmund….."

"King." Aleisa corrected without hesitation. Miraz stuttered for a moment but quieted as she raised a challenging brow. Edmund glanced down, hiding his smirk.

"Pardon me?" Miraz asked in confusion, hiding his offended expression at being called out for his demeaning remark. Edmund looked back up with a neutral expression.

"It's King Edmund actually. Just King though, Peter is the High King." He explained easily. Miraz and his advisers stared at him with wide eyes, thoroughly confused by the situation.

"I know its confusing." Edmund added with a shrug. Miraz shook his head before continuing.

"Why would you risk such a proposal when our armies could wipe you out with nothing." He asked the boy. Edmund glanced around at the group.

"Haven't you already underestimated our numbers?" he asked smugly.

"I mean only a week ago Narnian's were extinct." He added them with a polite smirk, keeping up his Kingly appearances.

"And so you will be again." Miraz told him.

"Well then you should have little to fear." Aleisa quipped with a challenging look. Miraz laughed.

"This is not a question of bravery." Miraz chuckled.

"So you're bravely refusing to fight a swordsman half your age?" she asked innocently, trying to hide her amusement. Miraz's smile dropped as he leaned forward.

"I didn't say I refused." He countered lowly.

"You shall have our support your majesty, whatever your decision." A man piped up beside him. Miraz glared at him.

"Sire, our military advantage alone provides the excuse to avoid…" another began but Miraz stood up abruptly, drawing his sword.

"I'm not avoiding anything." He growled defensively. The royals watched them curiously.

"I was merely pointing out that my lord was well within his rights to refuse." The adviser amended nervously.

"His majesty would never refuse. He relishes the chance to show the courage of their new king" General Glozelle countered. Miraz glanced at the man nervously. Aleisa and Edmund shared a smirk. Now he couldn't back out of it.

"You…." Miraz pointed at Aleisa with his sword but she merely gazed back at him with amusement.

"You should hope that your King's sword is sharper than his pen." Miraz growled menacingly. She smirked devilishly at him.

"Don't worry it will be." She retorted and whipped around to leave. Miraz gaped at how she easily dismissed him. Edmund watched the faces of the Telmarines before chuckling and following after her.


	22. Chapter 22

Down in the How Caspian was helping doing some last minute adjustments on the saddle of the black horse Lucy and Susan were taking. They were to head out of the back of the fortress to find Aslan while Peter kept King Miraz busy with the duel. Aleisa stood off to the side of him, making sure the girls were set to go.

"Destrier has always served me well. You are in good hands" He told them, glancing up at Susan.

"Or hooves." Aleisa joked from beside him. Caspian smiled at her in amusement. He adjusted one last thing before looking up at Susan worriedly, emotion shining in his eyes. Aliesa and Lucy shared a glance. During the time they had been here, Aleisa had noticed the two sneaking glances when the other wasn't looking. It was obvious that Caspian was besotted with the girl, while Susan was too stubborn to acknowledge it.

"Good luck." He told her seriously. Susan shied away from his gaze or a moment.

"Thanks." She told him shortly. Caspian's eyes widened in hurt at the coldness. He reached down to grab her horn from his belt.

"Look, maybe it's time that you had this back." He insisted as he held it up to her. A small smile slipped onto her lips as she looked between it and Caspian.

"Why don't you hang onto it. You may need to call me again." Susan told him. Lucy glanced between them with a bewildered expression, which went unnoticed by the other two who were too busy staring at each other. Aleisa bit her lips to hold in a laugh at the array of emotions going on within the three of them. Without another word Susan urged the horse down the hallways while Caspian and Aleisa watched the two go.

"You might need to call me again?" Lucy asked incredulously once they got a good distance from the others.

"Oh shut up." Susan dryly quipped, not sparing her a glance.

...

Once they were gone Aleisa walked down into another room to inform Peter of their departure. As she entered she couldn't help but smile at the sight of Peter and Edmund dressed in their old Narnian armor, marked by the silver chain mail and the golden lion crest on a red background

"Well don't you two look dashing." She commented, alerting the two of them to her presence. Both of them chuckled and she walked farther into the room.

"Well I think you always look good." Peter told her with a smile, glancing down at her old battle armor that she had obtained. Edmund made an obnoxious gaging sound. The couple chuckled at him.

"I just came to tell you that Susan and Lucy are already on their way." She informed. Peter stiffened up a little, knowing what that meant for him. Edmund fidgeted uncomfortably as he watched the two of them stare at each other in silent conversation.

"I just going to give you two a moment…..I'll wait for you at the entrance." He muttered before scurrying out of the room. Aleisa shot him a grateful smile as he walked past.

"What's on your mind?" she asked immediately. Peter smiled down at her fondly, thankful that she was able to read him so well.

"Just nervous about all this I guess. It's been a while since I've done a one on one duel, and never one this critical before." He admitted, grabbing her hands in his. She smiled up at him in comfort.

"Don't be. You have always been one of the finest swordsman I know and I don't doubt you for a moment." she told him with sincerity. Peter's eyes brightened as she continued staring down at her.

"Well that's all I need then." He told her softly. She smiled and leaned up to press a chaste kiss to his lips, causing him to relax almost instantly. Silently she turned around and pulled him along with her to meet up with Edmund.

...

As they approached the roar of a crowd could be heard from the front entrance of the How. Peter, Aleisa, and Edmund walked into the sunlight and made their way down the stone pathway, towards the dueling ground in the middle of the field. Peter walked out with his shield while Edmund walked beside him, bearing his sword. Aleisa remained on his other side as part of his guard that each competitor was granted. As the Narnian's spotted their Kings and Queen, the cheers grew even louder. Peter walked on with his head held high and a look of determination. Aleisa and Edmund held themselves in a similar manner, zeroing their gaze on the opponents across the way from them.

On the other end of the field, the Telmarine army was loudly cheering for their own king who was dressed in golden armor. He sat in a chair at one end of the platform, staring nervously over at the three teens who were walking towards him without a thread of worry showing on their face. Acting like true royals well beyond their years. Their very presence was commanding respect and he was starting to rethink his idea of how this duel would go.

As the royals reached their own side Glenstorm bowed respectfully as he served another one of the guards permitted at the duel. Miraz fidgeted with his armor while he turned slightly towards his own advisers that were with him.

"If it should appear to be going badly…" he trailed off and gestured with his chin towards the crossbow in General Glozelles's hands. If it was going badly, he was to shoot Peter.

"Understood your majesty." He murmured somewhat reluctantly. What Miraz didn't see what the subtle glance that Glozelle sent the other two Telmariens that were with him, sending their own silent message.

Once the Narnian royals had reached the stone platform Peter reached over and unsheathed the sword that was in Edmund's hand, causing a loud roar to erupt from the Narnians behind him. He glanced down at Aleisa once more, his demeanor lifting a little when she sent him a smile.

...

Miraz reached over and snatched his helmet and face-mask from one of the men beside him.

"I hope you won't be too disappointed when I survive." He sneered at his men and reached over to pull out his own sword.

...

The two rulers slowly walked towards the center, analyzing each other as they did so. Edmund fidgeted nervously from his spot at the edge. Noticing this, Aleisa reached over and subtly grabbed his hand in comfort. She was nervous too. They moved back just like the other guards and advisors stayed on the outskirts, as was the rules.

"There is still time to surrender." Miraz quipped. Peter glared at the man undeterred.

"Well feel free." Peter countered coolly.

"How many more must die for the throne?" Miraz asked in mock sympathy, hoping to sway the younger man into giving up the duel.

"Just…one." Peter told him and lowered his face-guard. The two squared up and all at once they ran at each other. Peter leapt up onto a fallen pillar and used it to launch himself at Miraz. They both let out loud battle cries as they swung their weapons at each other. The swords met in the middle with a clang and the men landed on opposite sides, preparing for the next attack. With a yell Peter once again slashed down at Miraz, who blocked the blow with his shield. In the same motion he whipped it up and slammed it into Peter's face, making the boys head snap painfully.


	23. Chapter 23

Deep in the woods Susan urged on the galloping steed, hoping to make it back before the battle is over. Lucy held on tightly to her back as she kept an eye out for Aslan. Suddenly a whinny and shouting was heard from behind them. Up on the ridge a group of enemy soldiers was chasing after them.

"They've seen us." Lucy warned. Susan glanced back at them and spurred Destrier on faster. They came to a clearing in the woods just up ahead and Susan quickly hopped off.

"Take the reins." She instructed her sister. Lucy looked at her in alarm.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm sorry Lucy, but it looks like you'll be going alone after all." She told her calmly, hiding the worry in her own expression. Without another word she slapped the horse's hindquarters and it took off deeper into the woods. Once Lucy was safely on her way Susan pulled out her bow and arrow, ready to release it at the oncoming soldiers. She glanced around the now silent wood as she listened for any sound of oncoming movement. She didn't have to wait long. Soon enough she could see the outline of the Telmarines coming around the corner towards her. in one smooth movement she raised her weapon and fired at the first man, taking him out easily. Without hesitation she reached back and continued firing arrow after arrow at the men coming towards her, each one hitting its mark. After a few more shots two more came at her and she wasn't quick enough and as she reached back the man swung his sword at her head, forcing her do duck instead. As she ducked the other rammed into her with his horse, knocking her to the ground harshly. Before either could land a blow Caspian swooped in and took them both out quickly. He steered his horse over towards Susan who shot him a grateful look.

"Are you sure you don't need that horn?" he asked with a smirk. He reached his hand down and hoisted her up onto the back of his horse.

...

Back at the battle Peter and Miraz continued to swipe at each other with no affect as both were skilled swordsman. They parried back and forth, each one aggressively looking to get the upper hand. Miraz lunged for Peter who parried and spun him around before shoving him forward. Miraz growled and re-situated himself. He let out another battle cry and swung again at Peter, who ducked out of the way. A loud cheer erupted from the Narnian side. Edmund smiled at Aleisa like a little kid, seeing that his brother was doing well. Miraz swiped again but this time he struck at Peter's face while he was distracted. Peter let out a pained cry as the force of the hit knocked his helmet off. Miraz swung at Peter's throat. Aleisa's eyes widened and she squeezed down on Edmund's hand painfully. However, the young king barely dodged it and swung his own weapon low, cutting across Miraz's thigh. The man grunted in pain, giving Peter a second to collect his breath. Miraz frantically looked to his advisers behind Peter, urging them to take action. However, none of them moved. Peter growled before lunging at the wounded man. Miraz skillfully swept Peter's feet out from under him, causing him to flip over and land on his back painfully before scrambling back up to his feet. The two lunged at each other once more, blocking the blows with their shields until Miraz knocked him down again. Taking in a moment of weakness, he harshly stepped down on the edge of Peter's shield which was buckled to his arm. Peter shouted out in pain as his shoulder twisted backwards painfully. Edmund gulped nervously as he watched unable to do anything

"Come on Peter, get up." Aleisa muttered nervously, seeing her husband in pain. Still grunting in pain Peter swung his good arm up at Miraz to get him to step back off his arm. Once he was free Peter rolled out of the way while Miraz attempted to stab him. With series of rolls Peter skillfully deflected the blows until he was against another fallen pillar. Thinking quickly, he knocked Miraz's shield as the man ran towards him knocking him off balance and sending him to the ground instead. Peter quickly scrambled up. The sound of a horse caught his attention and Peter glanced up to see Susan and Caspian heading back towards them but no Lucy. Noticing his curious glance Miraz spoke up.

"Does his highness need a respite?" he spat, trying to act like he didn't need one himself.

"5 minutes?" Peter suggested with a grunt.

"Three" Miraz countered. The two of them painfully stood up straight and tried to control their breaths as they walked past each other, hoping to maintain their pride. Once they passed each of them began limping towards their own side. Aleisa quickly rushed over to help Peter, seeing that his shoulder was still causing him immense pain.

"Lucy?" Peter asked in a panic as he walked over to Susan and Caspian.

"She got through." Susan assured.

"With a little help." She added, glancing up at Caspian.

"Thanks." Peter told him, the relief evident in his tone.

"Well you were busy." Caspian quipped in return.

"You better get up there, just in case. I don't expect the Telmarines will keep their word." Peter suggested to Susan. Part of him wanted to send Aleisa, but his more selfish side wanted her close by. Susan nodded before reaching over to hug him. However, she pulled back quickly as he gasped in pain.

"Sorry." She muttered apologetically.

"It's alright." He assured.

"Be careful." She told him.

"Keep smiling." Edmund urged as he glanced back to see the fidgeting and silent Narnians. Taking his advice Peter looked back at the army and beamed, raising up his sword encouragingly. It worked like they had hoped, as the Narnians let out roar of cheers. Aleisa sat Peter down quickly while Caspian gently pulled off Peter's shield but he still let out a shout of pain as his arm was moved ever so slightly. He hissed in pain as he grasped at his shoulder.

"I think its dislocated." He told them. Edmund quickly rushed over and started prodding the joint as Aleisa crouched in front of him, wiping back his sweaty bangs.

"What do you think happens back home….if you die here?" Peter suddenly asked, staring at the girl in front of him. Aleisa shot him a shocked look, wondering why he would ever ask that. He felt Edmund pause and he turned his head to glance up. The two brothers shared a wary glance, Peter wanting honesty and Edmund unsure how to answer his brother.

"You know you've always been there and I've never really…." Peter cried out in pain as Edmund pressed on his shoulder, ending whatever heartfelt speech he was trying to give. Peter gasped out in pain as the sharp throbbing began to lessen.

"Just save it for later." Aleisa told him sternly while Edmund scurried over to grab his sword. She leaned forward and pressed a loving kiss to his lips before standing and helping him up. Once again Peter reached over and took his sword from Edmund, but dismissed his helmet. Seeing this Miraz also refused his helmet and the two began walking back towards the middle once more.


	24. Chapter 24

Wanting this all to be over Peter lunged forward and started off the multiple rounds of parries and strikes between the two swordsmen. Miraz returned his ferocity and started striking with his shield which held his previously dislocated shoulder. At one-point Peter was caught off guard by the pain in his injured shoulder and Miraz used this as an attempt to disarm him. Peter held tightly to his sword but Miraz didn't let up and continued pounding his shield into Peter's, utilizing the injury he sustained. Peter groaned as he tried to stand his ground against the barrage of strikes that were pushing him back. Miraz aggressively rammed his shield into Peter's chin once more, causing the teen to let out a cry of pain. Trying to hold back her urge to rush to his aid, Aleisa latched onto Edmund's arm. With a glare Peter began to fight back, with just as much strength as Miraz had been putting forth. He pushed forward again, alternating between swinging at Miraz and bashing his shield with the king's. But Miraz fought back. With a quick turn he hit shields again but used his momentum to send Peter flying face first into an upright pillar. Thankfully the force of it also knocked Miraz off balance, giving Peter time to get his bearings to defend himself. He turned his head just in time to deflect Miraz's attack and continued parrying expertly as he laid vulnerable on the ground.

"Come on Peter, get up!" Aleisa shouted in encouragement. She couldn't physically interfere but that didn't mean she couldn't do anything to help. Hearing her, Peter quickly swiped Miraz's legs out from under him, gaining back his momentum in the battle. Without hesitation Peter swung at Miraz again while they were both on the ground but it was deflected by his shield when the king rolled over and away. They both took a moment to scramble back to their feet before locking weapons again. As Miraz lunged, Peter used his sword to block it and grasped both ends of his weapon. Using it as a fulcrum he spun the Telmarine's sword out of his hands and used the handle to land a blow on Mira's chin. Tossing it aside, Peter used both hands to hold his sword and strike at the disarmed king, who was now using just his shield in defense. Peter landed a few more blows to the shield before lunging forward into an opening. However, Miraz caught it between his arm and torso and twisted his body in order to now disarm Peter. Instantly Miraz struck Peter across the face with his metal gauntlet and knocking Peter's shield out of his hands. Aleisa tensed up in fear. Peter was now completely defenseless.

Miraz landed another blow to Peter's chest with his shield and Peter pushed away from him. He steeled himself as Miraz went to attack him again and grabbed the shield. It was now down to a test of pure strength. The two men groaned at the toll it took on their already sore muscles. Thinking quickly, Peter twisted his body around, still holding the shield, so that Miraz's arm became bent painfully behind his back. He now had the advantage, but Miraz wasn't done yet. The older man lifted his arm and thrust it backwards, his armored elbow colliding with Peter's nose. Peter had no choice but to release his hold as the pain shot up and down his face. Miraz dropped the shield and threw Peter into another pile of rock before rushing over to grab his sword that was on the ground. He ran at Peter and swung down desperately, but Peter was too quick and jumped out of the way.

Using his metal arm guards, he deflected the sword like Aleisa had once taught him, and punched Miraz in his bandaged leg. With him not having any weapons or shields, he had to become a bit more creative in order to end this duel. Miraz stumbled back in immense pain and begged for a respite. The roar of the Narnian army could be heard as they watched the enemy king fall to his knees in submission. The duel was basically over in everyone's eyes. Peter hovered over the man warily, unsure of what to do with him now.

"Now is not the time for chivalry Peter." Edmund called out to his brother. Peter glanced over at his brother and remained standing above the fallen man, deciding what the right course of action should be. A silence fell over both armies as they waited to see what was to happen. He glanced over at Aleisa questioningly. He could take advantage and kill the man, but then again what was the point of killing him. Peter wasn't one that took a life outside of the field of battle, it was unnecessary. She just squared off with him, silently telling him with her eyes that she would support him either way. After another moment of thought Peter looked down at the beaten man and dropped his fist. With a shake of his head he turned his back and began to walk away. It was over and there was no point in taking another life.

However, Miraz wasn't one to play by the rules, and he definitely wasn't one that liked to lose. Once Peter was a couple steps away he grabbed his sword and stood up to chase after him.

"Look out!" Aleisa shouted in warning just as Miraz raised his weapon. Peter whipped around and ducked out of the way of the blade that was aimed for his head. Miraz struck at him again and Peter grabbed the sword, twirled it out of his hands, and spun around to stab him in the side all in one graceful motion. Miraz gasped in pain as the blade penetrated the hole in his armor. Peter stood up straight and pulled the sword out of the man, letting Miraz fall to his knees. Peter once again stood in front of the beaten man, with his life in Peter's hands.

"What's the matter boy? Too cowardly to take a life?" Miraz asked him tauntingly. Peters eyes widened in slight surprise at the man's daring tone.

"It's not mine to take." He answered pointedly and turned to face Caspian. The two locked eyes and Peter held out the end of the sword to him invitingly. If anyone had a right to kill Miraz it was him and Peter recognized that. Caspian fixed a glare on Miraz as he walked forward and took the sword from Peter's outstretched hand. With a nod Peter walked away, picked up his own sword that had fallen earlier, and stood next to his brother and wife. Aleisa reached over to take his hand and smiled up at him.

"You did good." She told him seriously. Peter smiled down at her, glad that he had chosen the right thing and that she was proud of him. That's all he could ever ask for. Now the three of them waited anxiously to see what Caspian would do, he had every right to take the life, but would it be the right thing to do in the whole scope of things? Caspian slowly raised the sword above Miraz and guided the edge to point at his heart.

"Perhaps I was wrong, maybe you do have the makings of a Telmarine king after all." Miraz commented bitterly, staring up at his nephew with a blank expression. He bowed his head in surrender and awaited the fatal blow. With a loud shout Caspian thrust the sword in a downward motion. However, it became planted in the patch of grass at Miraz's feet. Miraz stared at the weapon before lifting his head to look up at Caspian questioningly.

"Not one like you." He spat at the man. Peter seemed to sag with relief while Edmund glanced around in confusion.

"So he's not going to kill him?" he whispered questioningly into Aleisa's ear. She just raised a brow at him on amusement as he shrugged sheepishly.

"Keep your life, but I am giving the Narnains back their kingdom." Caspian informed Miraz with a hard glare. The man said nothing but turned his gaze back to the ground. Caspian level a look with his Sospean and General Glozelle who stood behind the king in shock, before turning back to walk over next to the three royals. Glenstorm nodded in respect to the prince and raised his sword up to declare victory. This sent the Narnians into a victorious uproar. Aleisa patted Caspian on the back as he made his way past them. It was obvious that it was not easy for him to spare the life of the man that murdered his father. However, the battle wasn't over as they thought. The four of them whipped back around at the sound of a pained shout and thudding. Their eyes widened in alarm as they potted Miraz lying dead on the ground with a red finned arrow sticking out of his back. The adviser closest to him shouted frantically.

"Treachery! They shot him! they killed our king!" he claimed and grabbed the sword before dashing back to his troops. At the announcement General Glozelle had already mounted his horse and was readying the Telmarines for battle.

"Those snakes!" Aleisa growled before turning towards their own troops.

"Be ready!" she instructed and all the Narnians prepared themselves for the battle to come.

"Peter!" Caspian warned, pointing to something behind him. He turned to see Miraz's guards heading towards him but the man was quickly struck down by Aleisa who was closest. She was in no mood to be messed with.

"Go!" Peter urged the others as he, Aleisa and Edmund dashed off to lead the army. She could feel her heartbeat increasing as the adrenaline began to flow through her. It only increased as they could hear the sounds of orders from the Telmarine generals just before they unleashed the catapults. The Narnians stood firm as large boulders pelted the ground around them. The trio stood at the edge of the stone dueling ground unwavering against the tremors the boulders were sending through the ground. With another shout from the enemy they watched as the cavalry sped towards them. The royals remained still as they waited for the army to get closer. For their back up plan to work, everything had to be timed perfectly. Caspian was on his horse, ready to lead the underground army while Susan instructed her archers on the ledges. Once the Telmarines were in position Peter spun around and signaled to Caspian. The prince nodded back in understanding and raced off underground with Glenstorm at his heels.

The two armies raced towards each other. One above ground, while the other remained below to implement their element of surprise. A horn blew below Peter, Edmund and Aleisa, signaling their countdown.

"One….two…" Peter murmured under his breath.

"Three…four…." Caspian counted off from underneath.

"…five…six." Aleisa continued as they watched the enemy draw nearer across the field.

"Take your aim!" Susan instructed as the countdown reached seven.

"Stay with them!" Trumpkin chimed in.

"….eight….nine…..Get ready!" Peter shouted in warning to his own troops behind him.

"Now!" Caspian ordered from the group underground. On his command the soldiers with them swiftly knocked out the pillars around them, collapsing the ground above them. Aleisa watched as the ground just in front of them collapsed, dragging down most of the Calvary with it.

"Now!" Susan commanded, and the archers let loose their arrows to fall into their targets who were stuck in the pit. As the arrows pelted the soldiers who were scrambling to climb up, Edmund leapt onto a horse who was running next to him and charged into battle.

"Charge!" Peter shouted as he raced after his brother to lead the army, Aleisa hot on his heels. The army in front of the How raced forward while Caspian's group emerged from the other side to surround the Telmarines. Peter dashed into the heat of the battle, slashing down soldiers and ramming into them as he had lost his shield somewhere along the way. Aleisa stood to the side of him, helping to create a path as the two fought side by side. Edmund rode around the edges of the pit, shooting down soldiers with his crossbow while Caspian engaged in battle with those still on horseback. Trufflehunter threw himself at an enemy viciously while another reached the edge of the pit to find Reepicheep before him.

"You're…a mouse." He muttered in confusion.

"You people have no imagination!" Reepicheep shouted in exasperation before crossing swords with the man. Aleisa laughed at the altercation as she fiercely parried another strike. As Peter continued making his way through the battlefield he looked over to see that the rest of the Telmarine army still had yet to advance, which worried him. A few moments after General Glozelle lead the foot soldiers ahead. Caspian also spotted this and signaled for their next set of offense to attack. Up above griffins carried archers above the army in hopes to lessen their numbers before they reached the battlefield. However, many of them fell as the Telmarines released their giant crossbows to rain down on the beasts. Aleisa looked around them at the battle their army was losing. With the increase of enemy soldiers they didn't stand a chance. Peter whipped around to make eye contact with Susan.

"Lucy" he mouthed in question. Susan glanced around the field from her vantage point but shook her head. She was nowhere to be found yet. Peter glanced over at his wife as they thought of what to do. She shook her head. They couldn't continue like this.

"Back to the How!" he ordered and led the way in retreat. As the army ran back to safety, Aleisa skid to a stop as the boulders where collapsing the entrance. The Telmarines had cut off their escape and now they were trapped. As the rocks struck the How, the ledge Susan was standing on collapsed but Trumpkin managed to grab her hand and hold on before she fell.

"Susan?!" Aleisa shouted in alarm beside Caspian and Peter. Trumpkin managed to swing Susan over to a lower ledge safely. As the battle continued on the royals on the ground didn't know what to do. They were trapped and were fighting a losing battle with Alsan nowhere in sight. Aleisa couldn't remember the last time everything had felt this hopeless. She whipped around to see the Narnians flanked on all sides but still fighting bravely against the odds. Edmund, Susan, and Trumpkin ran to their sides as they squared off at the army. If they were going to do this, they would do this together. Aleisa unsheathed her twin swords once more and looked over at Peter who stared right back. Edmund drew his swords and Susan her arrows as they all glanced back and forth. With a thankful nod Peter led the group into a sprint towards the battle, spurring on another burst of courage for the Narnians. There was nothing left to lose, so if they lost then they would lose with dignity. They jumped into the battle, slashing down enemies in a circle. Peter took the front while Caspian fought at his side, with Edmund using duel swords to slash down soldiers on the other side. Aleisa and Susan trailed behind the three of them, making their way though.


	25. Chapter 25

The battle raged on, with the Narnians showing obvious signs of fatigue. Trumpkin was knocked down by a soldier who aimed to finish him off but Caspian spotted it and whipped a dagger into the man's back.

In another part, Susan was using her bow to shoot down men in addition to using her bow as a weapon strike people across the head if they got too close.

As Edmund raged on with his double swords the Telmarine army continued to seemingly grow in number as they closed in on him.

"Hey Ed, those twin swords are looking good. I told you you'd like them better than one." Aleisa called as she sliced across a man's chest next to him.

"Shut up." He muttered jokingly before brushing her aside and knocking down a soldier behind her. The sighed in exhaustion as their eyes scanned the army heading towards them nervously. They just kept coming.

Caspian had taken on two soldiers but he was quickly knocked backwards into the pit behind him.

At the front a bunch of fauns and centaurs had bravely lept into the thick of the barricade of Telmarine soldiers.

Peter whipped his head around and ducked as a man swiped above his head before turning to battle another.

Down below Caspian scrambled backwards as he spotted a General Glozelle wielding a giant spear before him. The man let out a battle cry but froze as he stared at the defenseless prince before him. He sighed and loosened his grip on the spear, not wanting to kill the boy. Suddenly a root reached out of the ground and grabbed the general before knocking him unconscious, much to Caspian's bewilderment. Looking up he saw Peter above him, holding out a hand to help him out. Caspian stared in wonder as an army of trees headed towards the Telmarines who were now running away in fear. The leaders casually walked across the field as they watched the trees wreak havoc on the terrified men, sprouting roots and branches to toss aside the enemy soldiers.

"Now this is more like it." Aleisa marveled, putting away her swords for the moment.

"Lucy." Peter muttered to ger with a smile as explanation. Aleisa beamed back at him. She had found Alsan.

"This is normal?" Caspian asked them in shock. Aleisa chuckled knowingly.

"You have no idea." she told him vaguely. The Narnains let out a cheer as they watched the leafy giants take on the enemy without effort. As the catapults continued to rain down on them, they swiftly dug their roots into the ground and shot them out to crush the contraptions across the field. The Narnians regained their energy and pride, spurring the royals lead another charge.

"For Aslan!" Aleisa cried as she unsheathed her weapons and ran forwards in another round of attack. The Telmarines were now on the losing side of this battle.

The enemy called for a retreat and the Narnian army followed them to the river of Berona. As they cleared the woods they stopped to see the Telmarine army staring at a figure on the other end of the bridge. Aleisa's eyes widened as Lucy stood alone before the army and whipped out her dagger. The Telmarines fidgeted as they looked back and forth to the river and bridge before them and the Narnian army behind them. Suddenly a large lion appeared beside Lucy. After a moment of deliberating silence Lord Sospian raised a battle cry of 'charge' and raced across the bridge towards the duo on the other side.

Aslan let out a mighty roar, ripping the water below and causing the Telmarines to freeze in their tracks. They stared in fear as the water began to recede below them. Peter, Aleisa and the Narnians behind them watched curiously as a large wave made its way down the river towards the Telmarine army who was now scrambling away in terror. However, Sospian wasn't deterred and tried to make it across the bridge anyway. As the water approached it raised up into the giant form of a man who reached out to rip the bridge out of the water. Telmarines jumped away frantically as the bridge was lifted into the air. Soon it was only Sospian who was left atop the bridge, staring up in terror at the figure of water. With a roar the water leaned forward and engulfed the man before crashing back down into the river which became calm once more.

...

With this the Telmarines conceded defeat and the Narnian's took charge of relieving them of their weapons. As their warriors were busy Susan, Aleisa, Peter, Caspian, and Edmund waded across the river to meet with Lucy and Alsan on the other side. The group immediately knelt before him in reverence. It felt almost like the first time they had seen the great lion.

"Rise Kings and Queens of Narnia." The deep baritone voice of the lion called to them. The siblings and Aleisa stood up with small smiles at seeing him again. Not to mention, it was nice to be called by their titles again. However, there was one in the group that was still kneeling.

"All of you." Alsan added. They all looked down to Caspian who stared at the lion with a confused expression.

"I do not think I am ready." He countered honestly.

"It's for that very reason, we know you are." Aleisa assured him, Aslan nodded in agreement. With that Caspian reluctantly stood up with the rest of them. The moment was broken when a sorrowful tune could be heard from behind. Peter and Caspian stepped aside to reveal a group of mice carrying Reepicheep on a stretcher towards the lion as they played the sad tune. Aleisa stepped closer to Peter in worry, and he instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders. As the mouse was set down, Lucy rushed over to his side and dropped some of her Fire flower juice into his mouth. They watched silently as he took in a deep breath before lifting his head up.

"Oh, thank you your majesty" he eagerly told Lucy and started to stand up with a bit of trouble. He gasped in delight as he spotted the lion in front of him. Aleisa let out a small giggle at his enthusiasm.

"Oh! Hail Alsan! It is a great honor to be in…" he trailed off as he stumbled in an attempt to bow before him. Reepicheep looked back and jumped in shock to see that his tail had been cut off.

"….And completely out of countenance." He hurriedly hit his lack of tail in embarrassment.

"I must apologize to his indulgence for appearing in this unseemly fashion!" he continued while they all watched him with amused smiles. This was a whole new side to the overly noble mouse.

"Perhaps a drop more?" he sheepishly asked Lucy who frowned apologetically.

"I don't think it does that." She told him with a grimace.

"You could have a go." He pressed eagerly. Aslan chuckled, grabbing Reepicheeps attention.

"It becomes you well small one." He told the mouse. Aleisa tried to hold back a snort. Thankfully Peter knew her well enough to pull her head into his chest to muffle her giggles. Once she was composed he shot her a serious glance, this wasn't appropriate to laugh.

"All the same great king, but I regret that I must withdraw. A tail is the honor and glory of a mouse." He told the lion, laying down his small sword. The humans behind him watched intently.

"Perhaps you think too much of your honor, friend" Aslan told him knowingly. Reepicheep sputtered and quickly corrected his statement.

"Well it's not just for honor. It's also great for balance, and climbing, and grabbing things." He hurriedly amended. They all smiled down at him in amusement.

"If it's all the same your majesty, we will not bear an honor denied to our chief." One of the mice behind him spoke up, and all of them held up swords to their tails, more than ready to chop them off.

"Not for the sake of your dignity, but for the love of your people." Aslan told Reepicheep. His eyes widened in surprise as he felt his tail extend back to its normal length. The mouse laughed in amazement and eagerly showed his companions the new tail.

"Thank you my liege!" he told Alsan with a bow. The others chuckled at his excitement.

"I will remember this always. From this day forward it will serve as a great reminder of my huge humility." Reepicheep declared. Aleisa shared an amused glance with those around her. Reepicheep was quiet ironic in his declaration. Aslan chuckled and turned to address the humans once more.

"Now, where is this dear little friend you've told me so much about?" he asked them. They all turned to look at the dwarf who was helping to gather weapons. Hearing his nickname Trumpkin sheepishly turned to face the group and made his way over. He fidgeted nervously before bowing down before Aslan. The lion let out a loud roar, startling the dwarf who had the decency to look ashamed. After all he had been the one to adamantly protest his existence.

"Do you see him now?" Lucy asked jokingly. Trumpkin sighed reluctantly and looked away in embarrassment as the royals shared a laugh with him.


	26. Chapter 26

The next day the townspeople had come out to greet the Kings and Queens of old along with their new King, Caspian. Caspian led the way with his crown atop his head. Peter trailed behind, dressed in a blue tunic alongside Aleisa who matched his own tunic. Susan rode behind in a red and yellow dress. Edmund sported a leather vest beside Lucy in pink. The Narnians joined the parade as the Telmarines welcomed the once legendary creatures. They rode their way through the town as they headed towards the castle before them.

That night a ball was held in celebration of the new era. All the Narnians and Telmarines had been invited for the people to properly mingle and meet with one another as there was still some uncertainty. Caspian stood atop one of the balconies, watching the festivities down in the courtyard below.

"What is the new King doing up here all alone?" a voice asked from behind him. Caspian whipped around but relaxed once he saw Aleisa headed towards him. She had changed from her coronation attire into an elegant ball gown that complemented her perfectly.

"I am still unsure about all of this." He admitted to her, turning back to lean on the banister. Aleisa came to stand next to him, staring out as he was.

"I think you are going to be just fine. The fact that you don't have an overabundance of confidence in yourself if a good thing in your case." She assured in a knowing way. Caspian glanced over at the girl who looked young, but held years of wisdom in her eyes.

"Really?" he asked. Aleisa turned her head to look at him and gave him a look.

"Trust me. I've done a lot of ruling in my time." She joked with him. Caspian smiled genuinely, glad that someone with experience truly trusted him to take care of her people. After a moment of thought the boy looked over at her curiously.

"Aren't you supposed to be with someone?" he inquired playfully. Aleisa shrugged.

"Nah, I love him like a brother but Edmund can be a bit bothersome." She joked with a serious expression. The two shared a laugh.

"No, he's waiting for me to drag you down here first." She answered. Caspian shot her a surprised look.

"Drag me?" he asked incredulously. She nodded easily.

"Yes, that is if you didn't want to come. You can always come willingly." She amended with a determined look. With a sigh and smile Caspian offered her his arm and the two walked down to the main floor. Once they descended the staircase Peter stood up from his spot on the wall and smiled up at his wife.

"You allowed her to come harass me instead of spend the time with you?" Caspian asked the boy as they came to a halt and Aleisa transferred arms.

"She's determined. It's not like I've ever been able to control her." Peter shrugged with a grin. Aleisa rolled her eyes.

"Ha, ha. You're both hilarious. Now there's a ball that is in need of some royals so…" she gestured with a nod and the three walked in. They took in the scene of humans and creatures interacting without any bloodshed for once. It was quite a sight to see. From the corner of her eye Aleisa spotted Caspian standing and gazing at someone off to the side. Following his sight, she smiled when she saw that Susan was the center of his fond gaze. In the past few days the two had formed a bond and it was obvious that they held some sort of affection for each other.

"Go ask her to dance. She loves the waltz." Aleisa suggested innocently, startling the boy.

"I don't think…" he argued, glancing over nervously at Peter who was scrutinizing him. Taking the hint Aleisa nudged her husband in the ribs and shot him an imploring look. With a sigh Peter relented.

"Go on, I'm sure she would love it." Peter assured with an easy smile. Getting the approval he wanted, Caspian immediately dashed off to ask Susan to dance. Once those two were taken care of Peter held his and out for Aleisa with a bow.

"Shall we?" he asked, sending her a look of utter adoration that made her heart melt. Becoming suddenly shy she grasped his hand with a smile. Peter beamed at his accomplishment, priding himself at being the only one to make his outgoing and fierce wife turn into a speechless schoolgirl. As they danced gracefully across the room, all the couple could do was stare at one another.

"I love you. I know I haven't gotten to say that recently." Peter muttered lowly as he spun his wife around once more. Aleisa smiled up at him lovingly.

"I love you too. And you don't have to say it for me to know it." She assured him and leaned her head against his chest, just relishing in his presence. With all the chaos that had been happening since the beginning of their trip they hadn't had the time to just be with one another.


	27. Chapter 27

The next day the castle was bustling as Aslan had called for a meeting out in the town. That morning Alsan had called for the oldest of Old Rulers to join him in the courtyard. Aleisa and Peter walked down the stairs to see Susan waiting for them beside Aslan.

"You wanted to see us?" Peter asked curiously.

"Indeed I did. Walk with me if you will." The lion requested. Sharing wary glances, they all walked over to stand beside him. Peter and Aleisa on one side, and Susan on the other.

"Your time here is drawing to an end dear ones….." Aslan began. Dreading where this conversation was going Aleisa latched onto Peter's hand.

...

Meanwhile, Caspian made his way out in search of the royals when he spotted Peter, Aleisa, and Susan walking alongside the lion as they talked. He paused as he noticed the serious expressions on their faces and decided to let them be. But, before he could leave Aslan called to him.

"Your majesty?" he asked. Caspian turned back to see the four of them looking him questioningly. He was worried by the saddened and resolved expressions on the older King and Queen's faces but didn't question it. His eyes locked to those of Susan's who had tears waiting to be shed. His heart went out to the girl he was fond of.

"We are ready, everyone has assembled." He told the lion after a moment to gain his thoughts. The four nodded before continuing their walk alone. After a few more moments of discussion the group started to make their way down into town where everyone was gathering. But something had been bothering Aleisa at all this thought of going home.

"Aslan?" she called out once Susan was out of earshot. He turned around to face her curiously. She nervously glanced up at Peter who's brows were furrowed.

"What will happen to me when we get back? I know the Pevenises had stayed together but…..I don't want to be apart from them again." She confessed and bit her lip. Peter immediately looked to Aslan imploringly. After all the pain the past year had caused, he really didn't want a repeat. That and the possibility of never finding Aleisa terrified him. Aslan smiled at the couple knowingly. The bond they had formed in their lives was something that couldn't be broken, and one that needed to be continued.

"All will work itself out in due time my dear." He assured. Peter and Aleisa glanced at one another questioningly. What was that supposed to mean? However, the trialed after the lion dutifully. If Aslan said it would be fine, then all they could do was trust him.

...

Outside the castle everyone was gathered by the pair of trees that was perched on the edge of the wall.

"Narnia belongs to the Narnians as much as it does to man. Any Telmarines who want to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But for any of you who wish, Aslan will return you to the home of our forefathers." Caspian told the crowd before him, who began to mutter curiously at the last statement.

"It's been generations since we left Telmar." A man spoke up.

"We're not referring to Telmar. Your ancestors were seafarers. Pirates run aground on an island. There they found a cave, a rare cavern that brought them here from there world. The same world as our kings and queens." Alsan told them, gesturing to the four siblings who stood off to the side. The Pevensies and Aleisa glanced at each other in confusion.

"It is to that island that I can return you. It is a good place for any who wish to make a new start." Alsan continued. The people looked around in silence before a man spoke up.

"I will go. I will accept the offer." General Glozelle spoke up from the crowd. Caspian nodded to the man as he stepped forward.

"So will we." Lady Prunasprisma accepted with her father. Caspian stared at them unsure as she held her new son close to her. These people had caused him emotional and physical pain, but here they were proving that they just wanted to have a new start on life. And he couldn't blame them for wanting that.

"Because you have spoken first, your future in that world shall be good." Aslan told them as they approached. He let out a warm breath of air over them and turned to the tree. Loud gasps could be heard as they began to unwind and form a hole in the center of their trunks. The trio glanced up at Caspian and Aslan one last time before slowly making their way into the tree. Once they entered, they vanished into thin air before the crowd. Caspian started in shock as the people behind him murmured in alarm.

"How do we know he is not leading us to our death?" a man shouted.

"Sire, if my example could be of any service I can take eleven mice through with no delay." Reepicheep piped up from beside Aslan. Peter and Susan shared a knowing look. As Alsan looked over at them Peter squeezed Aleisa's hand before stepping up.

"We'll go." He spoke up. Lucy and Edmund looked up at him in shock.

"We will?" he asked in alarm.

"Come on. Our time is up." Peter told his siblings.

"After all, we're not really needed here anymore." he added as he walked over to Caspian who was watching them with confusion. Peter handed over his beloved sword to Caspian who gingerly took it.

"I will look after it until you return." He assured.

"I'm afraid that's just it, we're not coming back." Susan admitted. Caspian stated at her with a hurt expression, which she glanced away from guiltily.

"We're not?" Lucy asked, sounding as if she was about to cry.

"You two are. At least I think he means you two." Aleisa assured Edmund and Lucy, glancing over at Alsan in question.

"But why? Did they do something wrong?" Lucy asked the lion.

"Quite the opposite dear one. But all things have their time. Your brother and sisters have learned what they can from this world. Now it's time for them to live in their own." Alsan gently explained to her as Edmund remained in quiet thought beside her. Seeing her sad expression Peter spoke up.

"It's all right Lu, it's not how I thought it would be. But it's alright." He assured, glancing over at Aleisa with a smile. At least he had her this time, so everything was just fine. He didn't need power or a kingdom to be happy. All he needed was the one he loved, and now he did. That's all he would ever need.

"One day you'll see too." He added with a grin at his sister.

"Come on." He told them and led Edmund and Lucy over towards the small band of Narnians that stood opposite from them. Peter clasped arms with Glenstorm while Edmund and Lucy stayed with Trumpkin and the professor. Aleisa made her way over to Reepicheep and embraced the brave little mouse. As she stood back up she caught sight of Lucy and the dwarf staring at each other with sad eyes. In the short time Trumpkin had grown fond of the young girl. They bowed respectfully to each other before Lucy latched onto him in a hug, which he readily returned. She nodded to him again before saying her goodbyes to the others. The four of them stood side by side in front of the tree as Susan walked over to Caspian.

"I'm glad we came back." She told him, unsure of how to start this goodbye.

"I wish we had more time together." Caspian admitted sorrowfully. She forced a smile.

"It would never have worked anyway." She told him. Caspian frowned.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I am 1300 years older than you." She joked with a smirk. He let out a short laugh. They stared at one another for moment before Susan turned to leave. She took a step before whipping back around to steal a kiss from Caspian. Once they parted Caspian hugged the girl close to him. The three siblings and in-law watched them interact with varying expressions. Peter and Aleisa smiled at them knowing how they probably felt.

"I'm sure when I'm older I'll understand." Lucy muttered as she stared at them in confusion.

"I'm older and I don't think I want to understand." Edmund replied in slight disgust at the display. Peter chuckled quietly while Aleisa shoved him aside, making Edmund smile in return. The two released and Susan walked back over to stand next to her siblings before the crowd. With one last look around at Narnia they turned and made their way into the tree.

The moment they stepped through, they were greeted with the sight of the train rushing by them. They were all back in their uniforms and in the exact spot they were when they left. Aleisa glanced over and noticed that she was wearing the same as Susan and Lucy. She was going to be with them. Peter realized it at the same time she did and the couple embraced, both of them letting out breathy laughs of relief. They would start here together and now were headed off into another adventure with one another. Like Aslan said, everything would work out just fine. As the train started to slow, even more students began to file into the station. Once it stopped in front of them they stared ahead at it. It was almost bizarre to be back. A lanky boy with glasses boarded in front of them and turned to give the group odd looks.

"Aren't you coming Phyllis?" he asked, looking at Susan. This brought the siblings back into the moment and they quickly grabbed their cases and boarded the train.

"You don't think there's any way we could get back?" Edmund asked them as he ruffled through his satchel. The other four looked at him in confusion.

"I left my new torch in Narnia." He elaborated with a pout. The five of them smiled and laughed as the doors closed and they took off to the boarding schools. As the train shook, Aleisa leaned into Peter who had braced himself against the railing. He smiled down at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She smiled over at the Pevensies. They were like family to her in one lifetime. Starting another in London with them was like a dream come true.


	28. Chapter 28

**Sequel**

So this is the end of Prince Caspian. As you know Peter doesn't make his way back to Narnia again, however I do have one last sequel for this story. I will try to have it up in a few days or so and it will encompass their life after Narnia. Thank you all for following this story!


	29. Sequel

**So my continuation of this story is up- Together Forever-**

 **Thanks to those who have been following these stories, and I hope you won't be disappointed by what I have in store for Peter and Aleisa.**


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